Drowning in the Clouds
by KuriQuinn
Summary: Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art. Rated for language.
1. Prologueius

**_Drowning In The Clouds_**

_Author_: KuriQuinn

_Title_: Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom_: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all.

_Rating_: R for language, mature themes and possible violence in later chapters (much later chapters)

_Pairing_: Figure it out.

_Takes-Place_: Alternate Universe

_Summary_: Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

_Note: _This fic is dedicated to my best friend Mags who was the one who gave me the idea in the first place and inadvertently started a legacy…

* * *

Bethany, Oklahoma City.

A nice, normal suburban neighbourhood, filled with close-knit families. Everyone knows everyone on the street, dogs are walked at the exact same time every morning and evening, and the temperatures are on the average side. The crime rate equals that of the national crime rate, something I'm not sure to be rejoicing over or moaning about.

To me this place feels like some alien universe where all of the kids that live on my street (and there aren't many) have an eight o-clock curfew to keep them from ending up down at the metro area.

As I glance out my window to watch a middle-aged mailman in shorts and socks pulled up to his knees deliver the mail I suppress a groan and try to understand how it's possible that I was born here in this portrait of a cesspool of boredom.

I know that everyone always tells me that I'm too dramatic…after all, the scene I just described gives the wonderful picture of a heavenly Suburbia. But to me, this place is like Hick-town. I've lived in the big towns like New York, Paris, Berlin, Montreal and Tokyo. After those places, this dump is…well, a dump.

I gather that ranting on without knowing who the hell I am is causing a bit of unease in you. Well, fear not, I'll put all that to rest…my name is Chaya-Amelia Rembrandt Mizuhara.

No, I'm not joking, that retarded handle is mine and royalties go to me. And my moronic mother who decided to be creative for once in her life and ruin mine for all of it.

As I'm sure you've gathered, I'm quite new to this small town of Bethany and am very much angry about it.

You see, before they decided to make that fateful decision to become Suburbians, I had one of those cool, amazing yet aggravating lives that kids only wish they had.

I was a movie star.

…Pause for effect…

Okay, no, you're right, I'm just kidding. That's just one of my fantasies…right up there along with being twenty years older and married to Johnny Depp.

My parents, Takato and Judy, respectively worked in the military and the research industry, where part of their job included transferring to different cities. It explains the fact why I have never lived in a small town despite having been born here. Since before I can remember, I've spent more time on planes moving from city to city, country to country, than most kids my age have. My passport looks like a scrapbook, I swear.

My parents, older sister, twin brother and I were constantly on the move and even though I've had to give up a lot of friendships and homes, how many people can you name that can actually say that they spent their entire summer vacation driving across Europe – and that's driving, not being a priss and taking the first-class-trains? (Not that we really did, we were really just driving back to Berlin because we left Max's teddy bear in the old house and he wouldn't go to sleep without I --- that's besides the point.)

Now it just so happened that last year wasn't my best year. We were living in New York for about six months and I mistakenly set fire to my school. No, this is not the clichéd 'kid burns down school for attention' thing like you see on that television show with that anorexic girl that slays vampires…it was absolutely an accident, on my semi-non-existent honour.

I happened to be on the soccer team of my last school and I happened to have brought my hairdryer along so that I could take a shower after a particular long and gruelling practice. I swear, I left it alone for two seconds – two! – and I got back and…well…I'm sure you can imagine the result.

But getting kicked out of Geekenheimer School for the Insane (it wasn't really called that, but close) wasn't the reason we moved here. Like I said, it wasn't a good year.

Dad got discharged from the army and Judy lost her job as a researcher.

So, they grabbed everything they owned and moved back to the place where my twin brother Max and I were born. They've decided to open up a hobby shop under our apartment. Yeah, apartment. Me, Chaya Mizuhara, who once had her own room, now shares with her brother.

Sometimes I have a feeling someone up there hates me…

My older sister, Becky, was lucky enough. She's twenty-three and decided to stay in New York. She said it was for work. I say it's because she's sick of my parents…finally…and decided now was the time to grow up.

Took her long enough!

You're probably thinking that I'm not a very nice person to be around. In truth, I'm not usually so chocked up on attitud---okay, maybe a little, but right now, I'm a little brassed off. You'd be too if your family just decided to up and move to Nowheresville!

I not only left whatever small amount of friends I had behind, but I haven't met anyone here yet. I'm supposed to just wait for school to start, as mom told me.

Well, that's not exactly what I did. You see, I tend to have quite a few issues with my mother and she has the same with me. We have a tendency to wage this battle where we try to make each others lives miserable. Me because it's the only way my mother notices that she has two daughters, not just one overachieving on, and my mom because…well, I still haven't figured that out.

The first thing I decided when we got here was to break curfew. I mean, what fourteen-year-old had a curfew at eight o'clock? I mean, nine tops!

So, I was wandering around the town, looking for the skate parks so that I could go rollerblading _somewhere_ in this strange new neighbourhood, looking to see if there were any nice cars around (no, I'm not a carjacker, I just like cars. They go fast and make noise. What else need I say?) and I was getting all of these funny looks from people. After a few minutes, some stupid small-town idiot had called a police officer and I was being brought home for 'looking suspicious'.

Looking suspicious.

How the hell do you look suspicious!

So, I'm still in hot water about that, but at least I know there are actually kids around my age here. First off, I saw them running in the opposite direction when the cop caught me. Second of all said cop that brought me home likened me to a 'wise-guy group' and he hoped 'I won't become like them'.

Jerk…

I am never going to find any reasons to like it here. There is absolutely no reason why I should want to stay here---except for maybe that Chinese guy that just went past my window…

* * *

Kudos to Kuri's revampment…of course I know many who would shoot me, but…meh, get over yourselves. The style was killing me so I had to change it.

My fic! hugs fic

Ciao,

R&R,

Kuriness


	2. Drunk Shark

**_Drowning In The Clouds_**

_Author_: KuriQuinn

_Title_: Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom_: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all.

_Rating_: R for language, mature themes and possible violence in later chapters

_Pairing_: Figure it out.

_Takes-Place_: Alternate Universe

_Summary_: Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

_Note: _Bethany is a real place, but for the sake of my fic I combined both Bethany Middle School and Bethany High School. Anyone that lives in Bethany…gomen if I screwed up my portrayal of life in Bethany…

* * *

* * *

>0

**Chapter One: Drunk Shark **

_Bee-bee-beep! Bee-bee-beep! _

"Unh…five more minutes…" a groggy voice moaned from beneath the covers of a particularly rumpled bedspread. Beneath the covers, a lump in the shape of a human body rolled over, one arm flinging out towards the table near the bunk bed, where the offending alarm clock was sounding, and groped around for the aforementioned item. After a few moments the questing hand caught the annoying mechanical item and tried to find the button to shut it off.

When after a few futile attempts the alarm was still sounding the owner of the arm growled and yanked the alarm, cord and all, beneath the covers with her, hoping to find the button with closer inspection.

_Bee-bee-beep! Bee-bee-be --- _

There was a smacking noise from beneath the covers and the alarm shut off, the lump under the covers ceasing to move, heaving a sigh and mumbling nonsense about 'sweet, sweet silence…'

Far below the room, outside the house, a car drove by, knocking one of the garbage cans from the neighboring house into the street, shattering the silence before ---

"Uughh…eh? WaaaAAAAAAHHHHH!" there was a shriek from the figure beneath the rumpled sheets and the person sat up, brandishing the now silent alarm clock that flashed the numbers '8:05' in luminous green. "I'm late!"

In an impressive show of speed, the lump suddenly seemed to transform itself into the likeness of a teenaged girl with long blond hair and dark brown eyes, which were currently looking around with the room with controlled panic.

"Why the hell didn't someone wake me up!" fourteen-year-old Chaya Mizuhara demanded as she stumbled through the cyclone-zone that was her room, falling to her knees to shove the rest of the school supplies into her school bag, before hauling on the closest articles of clothing she could get in her hands. Glaring at the neatly made bunk of her twin brother Max above hers, she pulled on a pair of jeans stained with motor-oil and a black tank-top. 'He is so dead.'

A quick glance at the evil clock told her that she was going too slowly and wouldn't have time to shower and do her hair up nicely, therefore she hurriedly pulled her hair into messy pigtails high on the back of her head, not really bothering with the red streaked tendrils that escaped the hair-elastics as she hurried to the door, grabbing the tube of toothpaste from the bathroom on her way down for later use.

Still grumbling she staggered down the stairs and grabbed a cold pop-tart from the cupboard, barrelling into the porch to grab her rollerblades. Toaster pastry in mouth and toothpaste tube held under her chin, she struggled into her skates, groaning in the back of her throat as she noticed she was wearing two different coloured socks. She absently bit through the pastry which caused the thing to topple over onto the dirty floor of the porch. "DAMN IT!"

Moving to pick it up, then deciding she didn't have time, she finished tying and buckling her rollerblades and dove for the door, ignoring the loss of her breakfast at the same time as squeezing a glob of toothpaste into her mouth to rid her of the dreaded phenomenon known as 'morning breath'.

"Chaya, your shirt's on backwards!" she heard her father call after her from the doorway of the hobby-shop as she began on her way down the street. Rolling her eyes in response considering her mouth was still full, she stuck her school bag between her legs as she wiggled around in the shirt, trying to pull it on the right way at the same time as navigated around the recycling boxes that littered the sidewalks.

After a painful bout of wrestling with the stupid piece of material, she finally managed to pull the shirt around, allowing a grim smirk to appear on her face as she read the 'Shit Happens' idiom with smiley face beneath it, and swung her school bag around her shoulder. She nearly missed seeing a trashcan that had been left in the way and had to jump it before she ended up in a pile.

"Bring in your garbage, would you!" she choked, gagging on the toothpaste in her mouth. She didn't try to hear the response from the owner of the trashcan as she turned the corner of the street labelled ' North Mueller Avenue' and tried to make herself go faster. The road seemed to speed by beneath her as she went, but she was still sure she was going too slowly.

"Out of the way!" Chaya yelled at a pedestrian that was walking their little Schitzu. She skidded around them, narrowly missing the dog as the owner tried to pull it back by leash.

"You should be more careful, you little punk!" the man who'd been walking after her yelled, emphasized by the indignant yips of the puny canine.

"And you should get a bigger dog," Chaya murmured under her breath as she pushed herself faster, trying to figure out where she was. The act in its self was a little hard as her helmet kept sliding over her eyes, obscuring the view of the streets and buildings that she passed. She managed to push the stupid thing up long enough to catch sight of the school up ahead. Her face fell as she watched an extremely large garbage truck pull out from one of the streets ahead, stopping at a snails-pace as the garbage collector hopped out.

'Great…'

Just as she was resigning herself to the fact that she'd be unforgivably late, she noticed a dumpster outside someone's home. There was a plank of wood standing up against it at a possible angle. The dumpster was behind the truck, but leading in the same direction. She looked around, trying to see if anyone was around in case she messed up what she was about to do. It would be just her luck if she ended up swimming in garbage on her first day…

Getting into a ready position, she winced and glanced at the plank again, and then back at the truck. The garbage collector was whistling and taking his time, oblivious to her. She groaned, knowing that the truck wasn't going anywhere anytime soon…

Looked like the gods wanted her to try new things today…why the hell didn't she have health insurance? She was sure she was going to need it…

Yelling loudly both from panic and excitement, she hurtled towards the plank, jumping at the precise moment that she lifted off. She bent in the air, leaning forward to keep her balance, aiming for the street behind the dumpster. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the garbage collector make a face and drop the can he had in hand as he watched her fly over the dumpster and nearly lost her balance.

Thankfully, she landed safely on her feet, if not with a painful thump. Curiously, she whipped around and skating backwards, she stared at the dumpster. It had seemed a lot smaller from the other end, but now that she was on the other side she realized it was about twice as big as she had thought. "Holy…smokes…"

WHAP!

It seemed her luck had just run out as she found her back smacking into something quite solid, heard a muffled 'oof!' that wasn't her own and she was suddenly fumbling around the ground after a heavy impact, trying to find her bearings. She groaned in pain, feeling the hard ground beneath her and cursing the day sidewalks were invented in place of nice, soft dirt roads…

Glancing up, shielding her eyes against both the early morning sunlight and the dizzy stars in her eyes, she tried to make out the form of what she had bumped into. Her stomach clenched when she realized it was a person, who was now brushing himself off rather stiffly. She opened her mouth to apologize but was cut off when the stranger spoke first, in a rough voice. "Watch it, kid."

Chaya's eyes narrowed, both in annoyance at being called kid and because of the blinding sunlight. It took her a few seconds before she managed to finally study his profile. Her unwitting victim was a fellow teenager, although he looked older than her and was taller than her by a few inches. He was glaring condescendingly down at her with brown eyes that were almost crimson, slate-coloured hair falling messily into his face. He wore black jeans and a red shirt with a shark decal, a cigarette dangling from one hand.

"You should watch it," she told him smartly, finally reacting to his earlier comments. "You know, to make sure that no one's coming hurtling towards you that you can't see."

The guy didn't reply but sent her a disdainful look, before turning around and walking away with two other teenagers that she hadn't noticed before. One was even taller than the first with vibrant red hair and a chin ring while the third teen was short, with light hair and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, causing a cloud of smoke to waft above his head.

When she realized they were walking away as though nothing had happened, she bristled, unable to keep her already short temper from snapping. "Hey! Buddy, you gonna help a lady up?"

"I don't see a lady," was the nasal reply, and the one she had bumped into smirked back at her, barely inclining his head in her direction. "Just some little kid that still needs training wheels on her skates."

'Damn it, what the hell is it with calling me 'kid' anyway! I bet it's the stupid blond hair…'

"You moron, you can't have training wheels on skates!" she retorted as she pulled herself up and arranged her bag back over her shoulder. "But obviously all that hair dye has been affecting your brain, so you wouldn't know tha –" she caught sight of her wristwatch out of the corner of her eye, realizing that it was already eight-thirty. She had probably missed most of her first period, "– Shit! I'm so screwed!"

With a comical cry, she sped past the threesome of morons, barely jumping in time to avoid the redhead's foot as he attempted to trip her up, going as fast as she could to get to across the street and into the safety of her school. 'Heh. Safety…sure…'

Bethany Schoolwas a large two story redbrick building with two large wings on each side that framed the blacktop where the American flag flew proudly. From what she remembered from the initial tour a few weeks back during the summer, the ground floor was mostly freshmen and sophomore classrooms, faculty offices and the advanced math class. The upper floor was probably the juniors and seniors domain.

She squinted up at the entrance way. There was no one outside, and she was just about to give up when she saw some guy in a grey uniform open the door with one hand and carry out a bucket with the other. He had just turned to go back inside when she reached the edge of the stairway. "WAIT!" The man looked stunned for a moment as she tripped up the stairs, trying to keep from falling thanks to her rollerblade. She finally managed it with the help of the railing and sped through the entrance way that the man held open, still looking flabbergasted, although slightly amused. "Thank you!"

Upon entering the building, she studied the shiny floors that branched off in four different directions, two of which led towards staircases. Deciding to guess, she turned right, rolling down the hallways and glancing at the classroom numbers and the classes that were being taught within them. If she could find the one with her brother in it, she'd be fine.

"Come on, where are you!" After reaching the end of the hall with not luck, she saw a bunch of papers posted up at the end of the hall. On closer inspection she realized they were class-lists and room numbers that had been posted for the students. Determinedly searching for hers, she plucked the page off of the wall and took note of the classroom number. The numbers that were emblazoned on the walls next to her didn't match and it took her a few moments to realize that she was in the wrong wing of the school. "Argh! The other way!"

Trying to keep from slipping on the floors which had probably been manically waxed during the summer, she glided down the corridors, hanging a left this time as she entered the entrance hall again. Glancing at the list, she held back a loud cheer when she realized that the class she was looking for was indeed in this wing. It took a few moments of scanning the classroom numbers, but she finally found room 108. With a final defiant push of her skates she shot towards the door, grabbing the handle as she connected with the solid wood, pushed it open and hurtle through –

CRASH!"

It took her a few moments to realize that she had crashed into the desk and was now part of the pile of desk and girl that everyone in the classroom was looking over at curiously. Her face turning a bright shade of red, she disentangled herself from the chair and slipped to her feet, nearly falling over again as her rollerblade caught in the chair.

"Chaya Mizuhara, reporting for duty!" she panted, not able to stop herself before she saluted smartly. This earned a few laughs from the kids in the back row. "Sorry for being late, but there were these jerks on the way to school and my brother kinda-sorta betrayed me and – "

She stopped talking when she realized that laughter from the back of the class was drowning her out. Looking up for the first time at her new classmates, she caught sight of her brother himself, sitting between a silver-haired girl and dark haired boy. Glaring at her twin meaningfully, she looked back at the teacher to face whatever punishment she was sure she was about to get.

The man in front of her was quite young, maybe in his early twenties. He had dark eyes, wore glasses to her surprise, his black hair was streaked with blond – and for a moment she thought she saw a flash of green in the midst of the other colors. Was this guy a teacher or a student?

"Welcome to Bethany High, Chaya," he said, half a smile on his face as he studied her appearance, mostly her shirt. She was doubly surprised when he merely chuckled at it before continuing on with what he had been going to say. "I'm Mr. Riley, your history teacher. You can just call me Riley like everyone else does and – "

" – are you serious?" She couldn't help interrupting, and winced at the same time. She was taking advantage of his niceness…

"Yes, I'm serious," he grinned at her. "Now, moving on – I hate to be a stickler considering it's the first day of school and everyone hates sticklers –" there were murmured sounds of assent throughout the classroom, "– but not only are you late but you're not wearing regulation shoes."

She looked down at her rollerblades and felt herself colour again, grinning sheepishly. "Uh yeah…about that…that'd be my transportation…"

He raised an eyebrow at her, but when it was obvious that she was being serious, he cleared his throat. "Alright…well, considering your – er – great effort to get here, I won't make a note of it. But I would like you to change into some shoes when the bell rings. If you don't have any, you can always borrow them from the gym."

"_Jahvoll, mein Führer,_" she rolled her eyes and slumped, looking around for somewhere to sit and discovering that the desk she had crashed into was the only one that was empty. She set to work putting her chair-slash-desk back into their upright positions. (1)

"_Es ist nicht höflich wenn mann einer mit Hitler vergleicht_." (2)

Chaya paused in her work, everything tensing, looked up at her teacher, and swallowed. After a few moments she managed to manufacture a guilty smile. "_Uh…io siento…no hablo alèman_…" (3)

He raised his eyebrow again and Chaya decided right then and there that it must be his characteristic pose. Now whenever she thought of Riley, she'd think of that particular look… "¿_No? Estoy sorprendido, usted lo hablo muy bien_…" (4)

The brown eyed girl regarded her teacher warily, before taking on a stubborn guise. He thought he was something, replying to her in the same foreign languages? They'd see… "_Non, monsieur, vous avez fait un erreur. Je ne parle pas cette langue la_…" (5)

He grinned. "_Mais tu parle le français_?" (6)

"Argh!" Chaya uttered, squaring her shoulders and clenching her fists. This guy was going down. It was time to pull out the big guns! "_Iie, sensei. Watashi wa eigo o hanashimasu. Furansugo de wa arimasen_." (7)

"Uh…_konichiwa_...?" Riley faltered.

"Ha!" Chaya yelled, pointing as finger at him triumphantly. "You don't really speak Japanese! I win!"

"Alright, I give up," Riley sighed in mock defeat, leaning back on his desk he looked out at the students, all of whom looked extremely confused at what had just transpired between their teacher and this very strange looking newcomer. "Looks like the freshmen have a new expert in gibberish this semester…"

There was some cheering and Chaya looked goofily around, nervously running a hand through one of her pigtails, suddenly self-consciously wishing she had been able to brush her hair before she left the house. She bowed comically, trying to go with the flow. "Thank you, thank you…uh, I'm here until Friday…enjoy the veal…"

As the cheering and laughter died down she groaned, sitting heavily in her seat and let her head fall onto her desk.

Great. First day and she had already made a fool out of herself.

Just great…

* * *

1 They have these stuck on the walls at my school, so get over it! 

2 It's not polite to liken someone with Hitler.

3 I'm sorry…I don't speak German…

4 No? you speak it exceedingly well

5 no, mister, you made a mistake. I don't speak that language…

6 But you speak french?

7 I speak English. Not French.

* * *

This was once a song fic. But the song cheapened the fic. So the song went bye-bye. Enjoy the songless version...but you could always reread the chapter pretending 'Billy S.' by Skye Sweetnam is playing in the background... 

Enjoy

Kuriness


	3. Six Eyed Monster

**_Drowning In The Clouds_**

_Author_: KuriQuinn

_Title_: Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom_: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all.

_Rating_: R for language, mature themes and possible violence in later chapters

_Pairing_: Figure it out.

_Takes-Place_: Alternate Universe

_Summary_: Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

>0

* * *

**Chapter Two: Six-eyed Monster**

Chaya had hoped she could spend the rest of the class hiding her face in her arms at her desk, merely listening to the drone of her teacher and then sneak out unnoticed by the others.

Unfortunately for her, it seemed as though she had somehow ended up in the class with one of the cheerful, so-called "cool" teachers…Before she knew it, she was being poked and prodded into looking up, where Riley's grinning face loomed down at her like some kinds of sinister beacon. She had the sudden urge to run away. "Seeing as you're the newest – and latest - to the class, you can tell us a little bit about yourself."

She stared at him as he stepped back and settled himself into a comfortable position on his desk and then, as she had expected, raised an eyebrow at her. She mirrored his expression and then cleared her throat, asking, "Are you serious? You guys still do the whole grade-one 'My name is…' stuff?"

The look on her teacher's face gave Chaya her answer. 'Damn.'

Sighing, she stood up and faced her classmates, getting the sudden feeling like a deer surrounded by hungry bears. Bears with dyed hair and earrings hanging from strange places in their faces…

They watched her expectantly for a while as she formulated what she was going to say, but when Riley cleared her throat loudly as though to tell her to begin, she forgot all of it. Holding herself back from sending him a glare, she opened her mouth and focused on a point above her brother's head at the back of the class. "Right. Uh, okay…so…this isn't rehearsed or anything, so it's as good as it gets."

She put on a bright fake smile and then spoke loudly in a high, phoney, bubbly voice. "My name I Chaya and I'm fourteen. My evil-won't-wake-me-up-in-the-morning-twin brother Max and I just moved here from New York. I'm claustrophobic, have asthma, have a learning disability and am allergic to cats, lizards and stupid people – and that's the actual stupid ones, not mentally retarded people because they really can't help it - I think skateboarding is a waste of trees, but I'll go rollerblading any time. I hate soft drinks, greasy deli food, rodents, trendsetters and rap. I like anime. And chocolate. You can never go wrong with chocolate. For fun, I like to take photographs, fix cars, kick-box and barricade myself into my room to listen to head-banging-shit. I nearly died of sushi poisoning two years ago and I gave birth to a six-eyed monster a month ago and am only just getting my figure back."

There was an awed silence as she hurried back to her seat to sit down. When there was still no noise about a minute after she had sat down, she carefully looked up and around at the many open-mouthed faces. No one had moved. She grinned awkwardly. "Okay, so I made the last one up, sue me!"

Riley chuckled, hopping off of his desk as talking broke out between the students. "I have a feeling this year will be _very_ interesting…"

(-)

Chaya waited until she heard the bell ring and most of the students both from her class and the other ones in the hall leave, before she grabbed her bag and the schedule Riley had handed out and stood to leave. Before she had gone even three steps, she found her way blocked off by a group of her classmates, all of whom were giving her approving glances, save her brother Max, who was carefully avoiding her gaze.

Her twin seemed somehow out of place with the group of teenagers that had surrounded him, and not only in looks. Her plain-looking brother, with the blond hair, blue eyes and dimples was easily overshadowed by teens that were almost a head shorter than him. . Beside him, an Asian girl with long green and pink streaked silver hair stood, or rather, posed, grinning at Chaya in an almost wolf-like manner. She wore a yellow wife-beater and scuffed Capri-jeans that had been patched within an inch of their life, Converse and striped black and white socks. Studded bracelets graced her arms, matching the chains and string of safety-pins that hung from her neck and the countless earrings that went all the way from her earlobes to cartilage.

Behind her, an Asian boy with shaggy blue-black hair that was hidden beneath a tuque grinned goofily over at her. He was dressed in a baggy black t-shirt that had the words 'Dragon Master' embossed on it in gothic letters and baggy jeans. She noticed the earrings that adorned his ears, as well as what looked like a tattoo on his left ear lobe. From what she could make out it was the Japanese kanji symbol for 'dragon'. 'Mental note: This guy obviously has a thing for dragons…'

The other two teens that finished the group were girls. The shorter of the two leaned on the taller in an almost affectionate way, her cropped and spiky sky-blue hair a large contrast with her redheaded companion's sleek auburn curls. The redhead wore a pleated skirt and blazer of some sort, her green eyes glittering brilliantly beneath wire-rim glasses. She was elbowing her friend delicately to get off of her; the sky-blue haired girl took the hint and straightened up. She was the most bizarre-looking of the bunch. In addition to her outrageous hair, she had braces and wore a pair of sunglasses that hid her eyes from view. What had once been jeans were cut to her knees, showing only a little skin above the heavy army boots she wore. A long net-like shirt covered a pink shirt with the words 'Princess Punk' on it.

Her gaze fell upon her brother once again and she couldn't help but shake her head. He just looked so plain surrounded by these people…

"Nice show," the silver-haired girl grinned, flashing a thumbs-up sign in Chaya's direction. "I give it an eight-point-five for form, but it lacked certain finesse…"

"Nah, nine for originality, but I'm taking off a mark for the fact you could have landed easily in the chair if you'd been paying attention," the boy remarked, his voice almost a having a stoner-type drawl to it.

"I say ten flat for one hell of an entrance," the 'Princess Punk' added. "Hey, Jen, what do you think?"

"I didn't know we were rating people," the girl said in a quiet, feathery light voice, smiling warmly at Chaya, who felt the way someone who was lost at sea must feel: completely out of it. She frowned at them, not knowing what to say and then looked at Max, who grinned sheepishly. "Sorry?"

"Bullshit," Chaya shot back, not missing a beat. "You purposely didn't wake me up! Max, you little b---"

"Uh…teacher, still in the room," Riley spoke up, coming up behind the six teenagers with the air of someone not wanting to disturb a dormant volcano. "Why don't you kids continue this little powwow outside, where I can't hear you?"

"Sure thing, teach," the silver girl chirped, flashing a winning smile at her teacher before, leading the group out into the now packed halls and into the throngs of students rushing to their next classes.

"So, who the hell are you people?" Chaya asked as she rolled along, not bothering to go find her locker so she could change. After all, she didn't have anything to change into and she knew from experience that borrowing shoes from the gym was a fate worse than death – which would happen anyway considering it wasn't often that the gym teachers washed the shoes. Chaya inwardly shuddered at the idea. "The welcoming committee or the ones that want to steal my lunch money?"

"Neither – of course, if you're giving out free money I'll take it. I'm Miyami Kinomiya," the silver haired girl pronounced dramatically, almost as though she was introducing herself as Queen of the Universe. When this didn't earn the gasp of awe she had obviously expected, the girl deflated and nodded towards the boy that now stood almost uncertainly near Max "And that idiot over there is my cousin, Tyson."

"I can introduce myself, 'Yami, I'm not mute."

"No, we all know that," the silver-haired girl replied tartly. Chaya blinked and faltered in her step, wondering if it was possible that she had suddenly stepped into an alternate dimension with strange people. Strange people that actually seemed to think the same way she did…this Miyami person reminded her a lot of her best friend Mariam back in New York. That was not a good omen…

"I see," she nodded hesitantly, looking at the boy that now glared at his cousin, and then turning to Jen and the still unknown girl. "And you two?"

"Haley Jones," the bright blue-haired girl said loudly, jabbing her hand out in front of Chaya, who took it with a raised eyebrow. She motioned with her head at Jen. "And that's Jennifer Crewe –"

"Hi guys –"

"– don't hit on her or I'll break your fingers," the sky blue haired person finished crisply, peering through her sunglasses at Chaya.

"W-what?"

"Haley, stop scaring people," Jennifer ordered. "We've already been over this."

"Yeah, well, that's like wishing for world peace, ain't it?" Haley snorted, forgetting about Chaya all together as she smirked at her friend, "or for Hiwatari to suddenly grow a conscience."

"I think you had a better chance with the world peace thing," Tyson remarked spitefully. Chaya got the idea that the dark-eyed teenager really didn't like this 'Hiwatari' person, the way his voice suddenly dropped all pretence of humorous stoner lilt and turned spiteful.

There was a tense moment, covered up by Miyami suddenly clearing her throat and looming over Chaya so quickly that the blond girl had to take step back to keep her personal space safe. "So, who are you? I mean, yeah, we heard you in class, but let's hear it again for crapass' sake…"

"Huh?"

Miyami's look suddenly turned determined and in after taking in a deep breath, she fired questions at Chaya one after another. "Where did you come from, how did you get here, what's your favourite colour and are you going to be my friend or not?"

"Uh… New York, skated, black – uh – sure?"

"Great!" Miyami cheered, reaching over and squeezing Chaya into a hug. "That means considering you're not my friend, you'll take me out for lunch!"

"Ha ha ha – no," she cut her fake laughter off with an abrupt change in tone, her face following suit. The others laughed and she smiled wanly, shrugging and then pointed at her brother. "So, you obviously know my brother dearest over there…"

"Oh yeah, we met Maxie about two seconds before you came barrelling into the class," Tyson told her with a grin. "Bye the way, I still think that was cool except the botched landing."

"Oh, well thanks, next time I get the inclination to do it again, I'll warn you and you can get a picture," Chaya said shortly, not liking the constant reminder about her less than subtle entrance into their class earlier.

"Really?" Tyson actually looked excited, because when he noticed Chaya's expression his face fell. "Oh. Sarcasm. Right."

"I got your locker combo and stuff for you," Max offered hesitatingly, obviously trying to make up for his earlier indiscretion of making her late for school. Without replying, Chaya swiped the papers he held out to her and began to study them. School agenda, gym locker combo, normal locker combo…

"The east wing?" Chaya demanded, pretending to sound incensed. "I specifically put in an order for the seaside view!"

Miyami laughed loudly, grunting slightly as a huge jock pushed past her roughly as they turned the corner.

"You think that's bad?" Haley wanted to know, ducking past a clique of giggling girls. She sent them all a disgusted look, before continuing on with what she had wanted to say. "I wanted to pass a motion to get time share for the broom closet on the second floor, but noooo…stupid teachers. You know, if they actually paid attention to what the students wanted, people would be much happier. I think they just – "

But what Haley thought was cut off by Jennifer, who interrupted, a determined look on her face as though she was intent on drowning her friend out. "So, where are you now?"

"Well, right now I'm standing in front of you. But if you wanted to know what class I'm in next, I have –" Chaya trailed off, looking down at her timetable in search of her next class. She caught sight of it and glared up at no one in particular. " – Advanced Math. Who the hell is the winner who put me in advanced math and how can I kill him?"

"Well it wasn't me, so keep your claws in," Max said defensively, almost as though Chaya might round on him at any second.

"Che, I know it wasn't you," the blond snapped, shaking her hair indignantly, before her face fell. "Ah, crap. I hate math."

"Ow, and you have Giles too," Miyami said in a sympathetic voice as she glanced over at Chaya's schedule. "Good luck?"

"Don't feel too bad," Haley put in, trying to give her an encouraging look but failing because of the smirk that was tugging at her lips. "Jen's in your class and if you're seat-buddies with her, Mrs. 'I'll-Only-Talk-To-You-If-You're-Favored' will definitely let you off easy."

"Thanks," Chaya deadpanned. "I'm getting the distinct feeling that this person isn't the most liked around these parts…?"

"Killer," Tyson piped up.

Jennifer decided to interject, "That's not true!"

"Not for you anyway," Haley teased. "You're every teacher's favourite."

"So you're that good at math?" Tyson inquired, changing the subject. "'Cause that's a hard class. There are actually some juniors in it."

"No, I suck at math. I don't know what these people are thinking putting me here," Chaya grumbled as the group came to a halt outside one of the classroom doors. Miyami, Haley, Tyson and Max made to go inside. As Haley and Tyson disappeared within the class, Miyami turned around and grinned at Chaya.

"Listen, you want to meet up for lunch? You know where the caf is, right?"

"I'm sure if I follow the shouts of suffering, I'll find it," Chaya assured the silver-haired girl.

"Good, because your sitting with us whether you like it or not," her new friends said in a no-nonsense tone. The two of them paused for a moment to watch as Haley began to have a huge argument with the math teacher, "and I'd better go before she bites someone – don't worry, Jen, I won't let her sneak out the window in class this time…"

The cousins went to pry Haley off of the teacher's arm, which she was actually grabbing on to as though trying to physically pull the teacher out of the classroom and out of her way. Jennifer and Chaya continued down the hallway, Chaya watching Jennifer for hints as to which way they were going, at the same time studying the hallways of the school. They were pretty much bare save for the few colourful posters advertising for the Environmental Club or the Debating Club. As soon as the majority of students had cleared out of the way, the halls seemed even emptier.

Jennifer turned into the classroom on her right, the one that was so obviously teacherless because of the screaming and yelling going on inside, and before she walked past it, Chaya did as well. Before she got completely in through the door, though, she noticed something that made her stop and stare.

There in the middle of the classroom, surrounded by a group of giggling girls and looking bored out of his mind, was the slate-haired jerk that she had bumped into that morning. She felt her jaw drop open and she narrowed her eyes, bringing her finger up to point at him and only succeeding in banging her knuckle extremely hard against the door frame.

"Jesus!" she cursed, recoiling into herself and waving her hand around as though to shake the pain out of her now bruised hand.

"Actually it's Kai, but I understand your confusion."

She glared up at the familiar nasal-voice, noticing vaguely that the gaggle of girls had quieted down the minute this 'Kai' person had decided to speak. Trying to ignore her pain, she skated up to him, her eyes narrowed and her unhurt hand on her hips. "You're the jackass that knocked into me this morning."

The teenager looked back at her indifferently, as though considering whether or not he should actually take the time to reply to her and she felt herself get even more incensed by the way that he was treating her. She wanted to smack the smug, smart-assed look off of his face, or kick him or haul the cartilage piercing out of his ear…or something!

"The only jackass around here would be you," he said calmly, his voice controlled as though he was talking to a child, "as it was you who wasn't watching where you were going."

'He's patronizing me!' she realized angrily, raising her bruised hand the pointing at him. "I was too watching! I was watching the trash-dude in back of me nearly piss himself because I jumped the dumpster!"

"How someone of your level of intelligence got into even this class is beyond me," he continued as though she hadn't spoken, his voice continuing on in the calm, bored manner. He slowly moved towards his desk, holding out his arm to a thin brunette who giggled manically and clamped on to him with what looked to be a painful death grip. "Then again, maybe the circus is in town."

"Well if they are, you should get back. I think they're missing their bearded lady," she said crisply, feeling her cheeks heat up in anger.

The entire class was silent now, waiting for the slate-haired teen's reply. He ignored the imploring looks that the brunette sent him, studying Chaya with cold crimson eyes. Then he looked away from her and sent an icy smile at Jennifer. "Where do you find your friends, Crewe? A gay bar?"

Jennifer flushed and looked down, quickly taking a seat in the front row. Chaya's fists clenched and she glared up at the boy. "What the hell is that supposed to mean, you jerk?"

He sent her another patronizing smirk before pulling the brunette down on his lap and proceeded to capture her mouth with his own. Chaya watched in disgust as the two launched into an all-out make-out session as though they were the only ones around, and shuddered. Some people were such idiots…

"Get a room," she rolled her eyes and skated towards the only other vacant seat, which was between the redhead that she had seen with the Kai person earlier that morning and a brown haired, lavender eyed girl from her history class. Thankfully it was right in back of Jennifer.

She had hardly sat down with the brunette was leaning over her, a predatory look in her eyes as she looked at Chaya. "You're so funny, you know? And smart. It usually takes a lot more for people to respond to his insults and you just came up with them right away. I noticed it about you in history class too. With a little work you'll go a long way around here. I'm Claire Marchand, by the way. Want to hang out for lunch with me and my friends?"

"…Huh?" Chaya asked, having not heard a word of what the strange girl had said to her because of her mile a minute speech. She glanced forward, noticing how Jennifer's shoulder's seemed to tense and realized that her friend was listening in on the conversation.

The girl seemed to notice as well, because as she spoke next, her eyes didn't leave Jennifer's back, malicious intent laced through them. "You know, if you want to be with the in-crowd you need to keep from hanging with weird people like that. Didn't you know that Jen's a lesbian?"

The auburn haired girl whirled around, fixing Claire in a half-angry, half-shocked look on her face. Chaya looked between the two, and then let her gaze rest on Jennifer. In a mock cheerful voice, she cried, "You mean you're not the in-crowd? Whatever have I been doing with you?" Jennifer's jaw dropped, but Chaya didn't bother watching it before she had turned back to Claire and fixed her with an unimpressed look. "What the hell makes you think I give a damn about who's cool and who's not? Do I look like someone that cares about popularity and shit like that? How shallow can you get? And for the record, there's nothing wrong with being attracted to someone of the same gender so get over all the media-slash-Nazi-Catholic blather that condemns human beings for acting on their instincts because it doesn't wash with me, so don't try it again."

Claire sputtered, turning an angry red and glowering at Chaya. "You're going to pay for that, you psycho-dyke."

Chaya blinked and put her hands to her mouth, pretending to be shocked. "Wow, did you look that one up in a book? Oh no, wait you couldn't have – that would require you to read."

Claire's face went, if possible, redder, and her eyes promised Chaya murder. "You know, it's better to stay on my good side. If you apologize now I won't make your life a living hell."

"Good side? Where?" Chaya asked snidely. "I'm having trouble finding it – maybe if you turned around I'd have an easier time?"

"You bitch!"

"Hey, do me a favour," Chaya leaned back, smiling coolly at Claire. "Don't, uh, don't ever talk again, okay? Great. Thanks."

If Claire had wanted to say anything else after that, she was interrupted as the room fell silent and the teacher walked in. As the other students began hurrying into their seats, Chaya met Jennifer's eyes and grinned; she was relieved when the other girl broke into a smile of realization and nodded back at her. Who the hell cared if she had made an enemy of another popular chick? 'Weird' people, as Claire had termed them, always turned out to be the most interesting.

Chaya looked over at the teacher now, taking in the looks of the young woman before her. She was tall, with masses of dirty blond hair and green eyes, her face pulled into an expression that suggested that she smelled something disgusting under her nose. She walked like a man, with giant strides and managed to quiet the class with a single look.

"Good morning everyone," she said in a would-be-jolly voice, striding over to the blackboard and writing the name 'Mrs. Giles' on it in thin writing that looked like chicken scratch. "As you can probably read, I'm Mrs. Giles – and if you can't read, you're in the wrong grade." There were a few hesitant chuckles from the kids Chaya instantly pegged as suck-ups. "I will be teaching you advanced math for the year – if you manage to stay in my class, of course. I have a few simple rules and if you follow them, you and I can be the best of friends…"

Chaya found that she was holding her head up on one hand, her mouth agape in boredom. It seemed that this was going to be a very long year – and she wasn't the only one to notice this. As she twirled a red streak around her finger, she looked around the class, noticing that most if the other teens were drop-dead-bored as well. Jennifer seemed to be slumping in her seat, though she was trying to hide it. The redheaded jerk was currently playing unconsciously with his chin ring, his eyes staring unfocusedly ahead; Claire was giving herself a new hairstyle and that jerk Kai was slyly slipping his hand under the nameless brunette's shirt as she sat in front of him.

Chaya shuddered in disgust and looked out of the window, wanting more than anything to be anywhere but there.

"…and finally, right now you all have a clean slate. Each forgotten piece of homework, each unsigned test, will get you a strike. As in baseball, three strikes and you're out. Any questions?"

No one raised their hand, so she walked over to her desk and picked up a stack of papers.

"Now, I've written up a little personality quiz---it doesn't count for anything---it's just so that I can learn more about you," she went on, looking around the class. "Could someone hand these out for me?" No one raised their hands, and after a few seconds of the teacher looking around for a suitable candidate, Chaya found herself stupidly making eye contact with the woman. "You."

She pointed at Chaya, who sighed. With a groan she stood up and accepted the papers, but completely forgot that she was wearing her rollerblades. As she stepped forward to move, one of her wheels got caught in the strap of someone's school bag and she felt her feet fly out form underneath her. With another loud crash, she was in a heap on the floor, the papers flying all around her, and everyone laughing, especially the two jerks up front.

Forgetting about the teacher, she sent them the middle finger and got up with the help of Jennifer.

Her teacher was less than impressed. "Miss…"

"Chaya Mizuhara," she grumbled.

"Mizuhara," Mrs. Giles nostril flared and for a moment Chaya thought she saw a glimmer of dislike flash through her eyes. "You will pick up those papers, and then roll yourself down to the principals' office. I know for a fact that you and he will have a very nice discussion as to why we don't wear roller-skates in school, and why we don't use crude hand signal towards others."

Chaya saluted with a sardonic look on her face and rolled out of the room, leaving the heap of paper on the desk as she made for the door. The teacher noticed this, and with an annoying drawl of superiority, she called out, "You did not pick up my papers, Miss Mizuhara!"

The blond girl looked behind her, still on her way out. "Yeah, well, I'm sure a talk about my manners is a little more important. Besides, maybe that jerk trying to finger his girlfriend over there isn't getting enough exercise. Why don't you ask him to help?"

There was a sharp intake of breath from the entire class, a glare from the slate-haired jerk and a muffled noise of rage from Mrs. Giles. "I will not have my students speaking to me that way, young lady. You just earned yourself a detention."

"Aye cap'n," Chaya replied stonily, skating away. As soon as she was down the hall and safely away from the class and teacher, she added in a grumbling voice, "Evil alien slave driver…"

'Wonderful…second period and I already have a detention. This day just keeps better and better and – '

She turned the corner and slipped on the freshly washed floor.

' – better.'

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>0 

Kuriness


	4. Bug Eyed Clothing Nazi

**_Drowning In The Clouds_**

_Author_: KuriQuinn

_Title_: Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom_: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all.

_Rating_: R for language, mature themes and possible violence in later chapters

_Pairing_: Figure it out.

_Takes-Place_: Alternate Universe

_Summary_: Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

_Note: _Bethany is a real place, but for the sake of my fic I combined both Bethany Middle School and Bethany High School. Anyone that lives in Bethany…gomen if I screwed up my portrayal of life in Bethany…

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>0

**Chapter Three: Bug-eyed Clothing Nazi **

After being told to wait for Vice Principal Clarkson, because Principal Dickinson was in a meeting, Chaya found herself skating in random circles around the carpeted waiting room, absently trying to see how long she could stay on her toes with them until she fell over. The place was void of anyone except the crabby looking secretary that Chaya didn't want to talk to unless she absolutely had to. She tried to keep herself busy and keep her mind off of the lecture and punishment she was she would be getting.

Not that it was surprising. With her luck she was surprised she hadn't fallen off of the hypothetical edge of the earth yet.

"Hey, you," a gruff voice interrupted the silence of her thoughts and she jumped so badly that she nearly keeled over on her skates. Looking up, she caught sight of the short, weather-beaten man with iron-grey hair and watery blue eyes. He was leaning against the office door post, looking at her grimly. "You're the joker that put black marks all over my clean floors."

"You're the janitor?" Chaya asked in surprise.

"One of them. What's it to you?"

"Nothin'…you just don't look like the janitor type. You look more like some guy with a Ph.D. that should be practicing law somewhere." She shrugged, and after a beat added, "I'm sorry about the floors. I was late."

"Just don't do it again," the man said gruffly, and she shrugged again, peering at the door expectantly, waiting for it to open. It didn't and she went back to trying to balance again, saving herself moments before she fell over. She could feel eyes on her and looked up again to notice the man still standing there, watching her.

"What?" she cried, unnerved. "I'm not making black marks on the carpet, am I?"

"No," he said, leaning back against the door.

"Then why are you still here?"

"You're not the only person on this earth that needs to see the VP," he said grimly, sending her a look that dared her to argue with him. "Maybe you should stop acting like you're the only person on earth."

"I don't _need_ to see her," Chaya said quickly, wanting to clear up the matter. "In fact I'd rather be in French class right now, which is saying something, because I hate French. I _have_ to see her because I got busted wearing my blades and then flipping someone the bird. That last one's my own fault. I forgot Giles was still around…"

"Giles?" she was surprised by the musing quality in the old janitor's voice. "You have Mrs. Giles?"

"Unfortunately," she answered, and then looked at him suspiciously. "You're not going to tell her I said that are you?"

He didn't answer, a musing look on his face before a sly smile appeared and she had the distinct feeling that he was plotting something. Inching away from the very creepy janitor, she pretended to be interested in the ugly pattern of wall-paper that covered the walls and was torn in some places. Somewhere in the school the bell rang, signifying the end of third period and the beginning of fourth. Chaya inwardly mourned the loss of her good attendance on the first day of school. It was a long moment before the silence was broken again, and Chaya noticed that the secretary had disappeared for a moment. "You got a handle, kid?"

"Chaya," she replied, looking suspiciously at him, feeling as though she had just made a very big mistake. "And you?"

"And why would you want to know that?"

"So that if you decide to murder me or something I can write your name down in advance and give it to the cops," she said simply, watching his expression.

The janitor stared at her for a moment and then let out a bark that she supposed was his way of laughing. "The name's Jackson."

"First or last name?"

"Well considering you'll be giving my name to the cops, I think it's in my best interest not to tell you that."

They stared at each other for a long moment and Chaya smirked. "You are so creepy."

The large wood door leading to the vice-principal's office opened suddenly, making Chaya look away for a moment. To her surprise, it wasn't anyone that looked like a teacher that entered the waiting room, but Miyami and Haley who walked out of the office, both with looks of varying degrees of boredom on their faces. In fact, Miyami looked as though she had been abruptly woken from a long sleep the way she slumped out of the office.

"Hey Yami," Chaya said, her voice puzzled. "What'd you do?"

"It's not what _I_ did," Miyami pronounced. "It's what Haley did and I got in trouble for. She ran out of class to bean Bryan Kuznetsov in the face with the chalk erasers."

"Ah," Chaya blinked, not having a clue who they were talking about.

"I tried to tell the old bat that it was all Kuznetsov's fault – he provoked me –" Haley began to complain but was interrupted with the appearance of a rather large bosom behind her.

"I've heard the excuse ten times from you, Miss Jones," a deep voiced woman said chidingly. It took Chaya a moment to realize the bosom wasn't talking, but belonged to a short, plump woman that looked to be in her late fifties, with scrutinizing brown eyes and brown hair that looked as though it had been moussed into solidity. She practically stalked forward from the depths of her office, hands on her hips as she glared out at the two girls who were almost taller than she was. "And I don't want to hear anymore about you two disrupting the peace around here. The next time I will be calling your parents – now get to class and I want to see you both back up here the minute school let's out. You're on chair-detail today."

Miyami and Haley collectively rolled their eyes once they had turned away from her and walked off, but not before Miyami made an amused face at Chaya. The blond girl tried to make one back but winced when she suddenly felt a meaty hand fall on her shoulder and prod her towards the office. "You. Inside."

With one final look of distress sent in Jackson's direction she was half led, have shoved into the office. As the door slammed shut Chaya had the distance impression of a dungeon door sliding shut. It was not a reassuring mental image. It was even less helpful when she looked around the small office and immediately started to feel claustrophobic. The room was like a larger than average hall closet, painted a hideous prune color that made it look smaller than it was. The paint was peeling off in some places, but attempts had been made to cover these spots with various ugly pieces of art-work and the latched window at the end of the room didn't help the cramped feeling. There was a small moth-eaten desk in the corner where the nameless woman went to sit down and a black leather sofa that looked as though it was about to fall apart.

Even as she looked at the furniture in an unsure manner, the woman was gesturing for her to sit. After a moment's deliberation, she did as she was told, trying to get comfortable on the sofa. 'It's like sitting on a freaking ironing board!'

The woman had gotten comfortable in her chair and cleared her throat, peering beadily over at Chaya, her eyes resting on her clothes for a moment longer than they should have. "I haven't seen you in here before. You must be one of the new ones."

"Uhm…yeah – "

"Yes."

"Yeah – "

"Yes. We say 'yes' here at Bethany High, young lady. Never 'yeah'. I want all of my students speaking grammatically correct." The woman sent a meaningful look at Chaya, who blinked. 'This woman had to have been an English teacher in another life.'

"Uh…yes?"

The woman nodded in approval. "I am Ms. Clarkson, the vice principal here at Bethany. As I said before you haven't been here before. If you're smart you will try to avoid my office as much as possible. I don't appreciate dealing with delinquents." She sent a fake smile Chaya's way. "But you look like an intelligent young lady. What's your name?"

"Uh…Chaya," the girl frowned, watching the woman reach into her desk and flick through something before bringing out a large file.

"Chaya…Chaya-Amelia Rembrandt Mizuhara – " Clarkson sent her an amused look. "That's quite a name, Chaya-Amelia."

"Actually, it's just Chaya. You see – "

"I don't appreciate being interrupted," Clarkson's nostrils flared and Chaya fell silent, deciding it was probably not a good idea to tell this woman that she had paused long enough for it not to be an interruption. "Now, Chaya-Amelia…" her eyes went back to the file, "first of all, I know that you're new here but that gives you no right to be rollerblading around the school. There is a dress-code here, much as it has been forgotten, and it requires that all students are to wear Doc Martins and clothing that is either red, white or blue. Denim is not permitted." Her eyes fell on Chaya's jeans again, looking at them in distaste. "I know that the students believe they are tricking me, but I have eyes everywhere. I know when the rules are not being followed and I will not hesitate to call you on it."

She turned a page, squinted at the paper and then reached for her glasses. Chaya began to nervously tap her feet, feeling unsure of herself in this office. Mr. Dickinson, the principal hadn't treated her like this when she had met him a few weeks before. In fact, he had been welcoming and cheerful the entire time. And he had gone through the files with her, asking her opinion and asking her friendly questions as he did so. What Clarkson was doing felt like a police interrogation…

"Oh, I have a question. It doesn't say here in your file why you left your last school – Academy of the Sacred Heart in Manhatten."

"I was…expelled," Chaya mumbled after a moment.

Clarkson leaned forward, a look on her face that told Chaya she was just doing it so that she could make her feel worse about herself. "What was that?"

Through gritted teeth. "I was expelled."

"Oh? Why? That's also not in the file."

Chaya looked down, suddenly finding the floor very interesting. Mumbling and hoping the woman would hear her. "I set the school on fire." There was a silence and she chance a look up at Clarkson, who was staring at her in shock. "It was an accident," she added.

The woman's mouth hardened into a thin line. "Dear Lord in Heaven, we have another one of you. Listen here, Chaya-Amelia, and listen good. I will not tolerate acts of vandalism, violence, disrespect or slacking off during your time here at Bethany High. In fact, I think just to keep you out of trouble, we'll see about putting you in some sort of activities. It says here by your file that you're fluent in quite a few languages. German, French, Japanese and…Yiddish?"

"My mother's family's Jewish," Chaya shrugged. "I sort of had to learn it – "

"Yes, yes. I think we might be able to find something to put you in. Now, back onto the subject of your dress code and behaviour in school…"

Chaya stifled a yawn.

She was trying to pay attention. She really was. But all she could make out that the Clarkson woman was rambling about was school rules, which she couldn't care less about at the moment. Besides, she was sure she was going to get in enough trouble to hear this same speech again, so what was the point of listening in this time? At least the next time it would seem new to her and she could pretend she hadn't heard it before… "I know the students must hate and probably go home to their parents to complain about me, but I'm doing all of this for your own good…"

The lecture seemed to go on an on and Chaya nearly dozed off a few times, only to be woken by one or two particularly loud emphases by Clarkson. The bell rang again after a while, making her wonder in shock whether she had already been there for fifty minutes. To her annoyance, the woman didn't make a motion to send Chaya away but just continued to go on an on with her speech as though nothing had happened. Chaya bristled. Her stomach felt like it was ripping her apart from the inside. Not that she was surprised. She hadn't had anything to eat since supper last night. She was starving.

Trying to think of something other than how hungry she was, she looked out the window, trying to see the outside clearly but unable to see more than the parking lot where the teachers parked their cars. Everything was so quiet outside that she was about to look away – when something caught her eyes.

Outside, a teenager with reddish hair appeared swiftly and silently, almost strolling around. He stopped in front of the spot that had a sign saying 'Reserved for Vice Principal', clearly studying the ugly black Mazda Protégé, and then looked around as though to see if anyone was around. He wore black jeans, a leather and jean jacket that was covered in patches and combat boots. After another pause, she watched him flip out a pocket knife , study it for a moment and then bend down near the cars tires. The window was closed and she couldn't hear the rush of air as the tires were let out, but she did see the car seem to sink a little lower on one side. He straightened up, and then, almost as if he noticed her gaze, he met her eyes and winked, before disappearing again.

A part of her felt guilty as she turned back to Clarkson to hear the rest of the lecture, but the way her stomach was growling now, the guilt had a tidy limit…

'Damn it, is she still talking? It's like she doesn't shut up!'

This lecture wasn't going to end. Chaya had to think of something drastic to do to get the hell out of this small, cramped office.

"…I didn't get this job on account of my looks…"

"I really, _really_ believe that," she murmured absently, more to herself than her teacher. It took her a few milliseconds to realize she had actually spoken and not merely thought the words. Clarkson had stopped talking and was looking at Chaya in disbelief.

Her eyes narrowed. The attitude you're showing isn't putting you in my favor, Chaya-Amelia."

"My name is just Chaya, and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that."

"Regardless," the woman huffed, reaching to her left and picking up something pink. She scrawled something on the page and handed it over to her. "You will serve a detention this Thursday after school, if only to teach you some form of manners." Chaya took the slip, staring at it incredulously, before getting ready to leave. She turned to actually go out the door, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her in her tracks. Looking back at the woman, she arranged her face in a confused expression rather than one of blatant annoyance. "What?"

"The skates."

She didn't understand. "What about 'em? You want to know where I got them or something?"

Clarkson pursed her lips. "I want you to take them off and put on your regular shoes. I will hold onto these for the remainder of the semester."

The brown-eyed girl looked back in disbelief, but the look Clarkson was giving her told her that she wasn't joking. With a glare that could probably match the one she had received from that Kai person earlier that morning, she took off her skates and practically thrust them towards Clarkson, who seemed to radiate triumph as Chaya stood up again, now in her stocking feet. A part of her debated leaving a threat of doom if Clarkson lost her skates, but she figured she was in enough trouble already and merely turned on her heal to leave the room.

No such luck.

"And Chaya-Amelia?"

She didn't bother turning around this time, but tensed in anger, waiting for some more orders from the annoying vice principal. Instead, she managed a sneeringly sweet, "_Yes?_"

"Burn that shirt because as of now it's outlawed at this school."

(-)

"Bug-eyed clothing Nazi," Chaya snarled to herself as she jimmied open her locker and shoved her schoolbag in. "Well I fucking dare her to lose those, they were damn expensive!"

All around her students hurried to and from, relishing in the recess hour. Her toes hurt from the three times one of those stupid students had stepped on her bare feet as she hobbled back from Clarkson's office. Some had done it purposefully, she was positive. It was just something a senior would do. Rummaging around her bag, she made the unfortunate discovery that she had forgotten her lunch back at home in her rush to get to school and would have to either scrounge enough change to buy something from the cafeteria or wait until she got home.

This didn't improve her mood.

"You wipe-out, you lie, you swear and you talk to yourself," a familiar voice near her said, his quiet tones cold and quiet but easily made out over the hubbub of the rushing students. "You don't see people like you every day."

Chaya turned around to glare at the owner of the voice, staring him straight in the crimson-brown eyes. "What do you want now? Can't you come back and bug me later?"

He smirked at her, although the amusement didn't reach his eyes. "No. I have only one thing to say to you. If you ever get me in shit with a teacher again, I'll break your neck."

Chaya paused and then turned around, staring up at the taller student. Slamming her locker with a bang and putting the combination lock back on it without looking away from him, she cocked her head to one side challengingly. "Are you threatening me?"

"No. I'm…persuading."

"Yeah, well don't join debating any time soon because you suck at it," she told him plainly, taking a step forward and narrowing her eyes. "I'm not afraid of you. It'll be a cold day in hell when I am."

And without waiting for him to reply, she turned around and stalked towards the noisiest part of the school which she determined must be the cafeteria. Amazingly, no one stepped on her feet this time. She knew for a fact she would probably have to go beg shoes from the gym teacher at some point, but she intended to rough it out as long as she could before that happened.

Pushing open the doors, she looked around the large room that was teeming with students, trying to figure out where to sit. It seemed that there was no space anywhere, but she intended to find it and intended to beg food off of anyone she could mooch from long enough. Damn Kai, making her forget to bring her wallet. She was already getting a raging headache from the lack of food.

"CHAYA! OVER HERE!" a loud voice shouted above the din and Chaya made out Miyami, who was standing on one of the tables at the far end of the room – ironically, the table furthest away from the teachers. She waved back to acknowledged that she had heard her friend – not that she couldn't have – and walked over plopping herself down in between Miyami and Max. Tyson was one of the only other people she knew from before, as the four other teens were people she had never seen before in her life.

The first was a teenager with wavy blond hair and amber eyes who was poking silently at his lunch which might have once resembled pasta at some point. He wore a black shirt with an Anti-Nazi symbol on it from what she could see and had a lip ring that he was playing using his tongue to push around as though it was the most interesting thing in the world at the moment.

Beside him was a slim girl with Italian looks, her mouth bent in a frown for a moment that reminded Chaya of those pouting supermodels in the magazines her mother kept in the bathroom. She wasn't sure if it suited the girl or not, what with her long brown hair and hazel eyes that were hidden behind glasses. She was arguing pointedly with a Chinese girl who had dyed her hair bubble-gum pink and was humming loudly, obviously pretending she couldn't hear anything the hazel-eyed girl was saying as she fixed up her designer tube-top.

And the fourth unknown actually looked extremely familiar to Chaya. He was also Chinese, with wavy black and amber eyes, a permanently laid-back and amused smile etched into his features. He was dressed in khaki pants and a faded black shirt with the words 'Sucks to be you' written on it in white decal lettering. It took her a moment to place his features, but when she did, she blurted out without thinking, "You're the hot Chinese guy that skated by my house the other day."

Miyami, who had been taking a drink from what might have been soda, promptly spat the entire mouthful out and over at the pink-haired girl who only just managed to duck out of the way in time. Instantly, Chaya felt mortified and her face heated up accordingly. She always ended up doing stupid things like that. Shooting her mouth off in front of people she had never met before was one of them.

To her surprise, instead of laughing at her and staring in disgust, the Chinese boy merely grinned at her. "The name's Ray. And you're Chaya."

"No really," the hazel-eyed girl said with an eye roll. "Miyami just announced it to half the damn school."

"Not the point," Miyami said loudly, drowning her out. She obviously wanted the spotlight back on her. "Let me do introduction, Chays. Okay, that's Flash –" she pointed at the blond boy, "that's Iris – ignore her when she tries to argue with you that's just her way of making friends – "

The hazel girl stuck out her tongue. "Shut up Miyami."

"– that's Mariah," she pointed at the pink-haired girl who sent her an appraising glance.

"Also known as the poser," Tyson sniggered.

"Shut up!" Mariah snapped while the others snorted in laughter. She looked at Chaya again. "Aren't you interesting looking. I love your shirt, where'd you get it?"

"Uh…I made it?" she answered, sending Miyami a confused glance. The silver-haired girl leaned over once Mariah had turned to say something to Ray.

"She really is a poser. She started going out with Ray and all of a sudden she really believed she left the cheerleading squad behind. No one really likes her. She's a backstabbing bimbo that'll be gossiping about you the minute you turn your head in the opposite direction – but Ray seems to think she's the greatest thing since dim sum…There're a couple of bugs there, but we're trying to get around them."

"Some?" Tyson asked, sending a grim look at Mariah. "More like an entire colony."

"Be nice," Iris warned him.

Chaya nodded slowly as though she actually understood what they were all talking about, before embarking on her quest to steal food from everyone around the table. It took only a few moments but she suddenly had a huge plate filled with whatever odd pieces the guys let her try. It was a gourmet lunch of cafeteria slop and she was sure they had all given her the parts of their lunch that they didn't want to eat. Not that she blamed them – she would have done exactly the same thing if the carrots looked blue…

"What's keeping Johnny?" Miyami grumbled, craning her neck towards the exits of the cafeteria. "He's late. I bet he's smoking up in the bathroom or something. And if he gets caught, it's your turn to cover for him, Ray."

"But I did it the time before you!"

"No, that was me," a flat, emotionless voice mumbled and Chaya glanced over in surprise at Flash. It was the first she had heard him speak and he still looked as though he hadn't moved; still poking at the pasta…still playing with his lip ring… 'Weird…'

"Speaking of keeping, what kept you?" Max asked. "Jen told us you already got sent to see the principal. What'd you do this time, Chays?"

"M-Y-O-B," Chaya grumbled. "And it wasn't the principal, it was the vice principal. She kept me in that stupid office for an entire period and then took my rollerblades. And then after that I got stopped by that asshole Kai again…that's the second time I've had issues with him today."

"Kai Hiwatari?" Ray asked and she shrugged.

"Could be. Never got a chance to hear his last name."

"Must be him. He's the only Kai in this school."

"Know him?"

"Yeah, we've been friends since kindergarten," Ray nodded. "He still comes over to baby-sit my little sister when no one else is home. But you're right. He's a huge asshole. So what'd he do to earn your blonde-wrath?"

"Forget what he did to her, the main issue is that he breathes the same air as we do," Iris said darkly, scraping the greasy toppings and tomato sauce off of her pizza before she took a hesitant bite. "Ugh, disgusting."

"Screw that," a new voice interrupted and someone sat down next Chaya, roughly jostling her to one side so that she put her elbow into Miyami's soup and Miyami nearly fell off of the bench. "Never fear, Johnny's here!"

"Yeah, and you're about to be dead!" Miyami grumbled from the other side of the newcomer. As Chaya grabbed onto a useless, paper thin napkin to dry her elbow off, she finally managed to look at the kid that had caused all of the mayhem – and her jaw dropped. It was the redhead that had been letting the air out of the car tires earlier.

"Aw, come on, you wouldn't survive a world without me in it," he was saying, a foolish smile on his face as he fluttered his eyelashes at the annoyed girl, who raised her fist, ready to swat him.

"Care to test that theory, McGregor?"

"What took you so long?" Ray interrupted.

"Business, as usual," Johnny grinned mysteriously, turning around finally, his eyes resting on Chaya. "Hey, it's you. How's it hanging, hot-stuff, got a handle?"

He grinned lecherously, but despite the lame pick-up line and jaunty attitude, she found herself greatly amused by him. In a syrupy sweet voice she replied, "Chaya. And you have no chance with me."

"He laughed outright at that and then reached down beside them. "Okay, Chaya-and-you-have-no-chance-with-me, even though you're breaking my heart, I still gots a little something for you." He straightened up again and to her surprise, thrust her skates into her arms. The wheels pinched her skin but she ignored them as she gaped at him.

"How'd you---I thought you were outside!"

"I was," he drew himself up proudly. "One thing about the Cow's office is that the bottom part of the window actually opens. Clarkson thinks that no one knows about it, but if you've been in her office the amount of times that I have, and had to escape after she left the room the amount of times I did, you learn a thing or too." He paused for a moment and then looked at her seriously. "Like don't chew on the sofa. It gets you nowhere."

She couldn't help staring. "Um…I'll remember that."

He nodded, as though satisfied, then watched him lean over Miyami's plate and grab her brownie, take a bite and grimace. "Why doesn't cafeteria food ever taste like it's supposed to?"

While Miyami began to yell at him about upholding his end of the deal (whatever that meant) Chaya carefully put down her skates and leaned closer to Ray, her eyes remaining on Johnny. "Is he…is he sane?"

"We're still trying to figure that out," the Chinese boy replied, a grin on his face despite his serious tone. "Yami has a suspicion he's on meds or high all the time and Tyson thinks aliens kidnapped him. I personally think he's just an idiot and I'm amazed he's made it tenth grade the way his mind works."

"He is?" Chaya regarded the joking redhead as he pretended to sob over Miyami grabbing the brownie back and stuffing it in her mouth just to spite him. "I thought he was a year younger."

"Yeah, that's the standard impression of Johnny," Ray laughed. "But then again, you get used to him. You get used to all of us, I'm sure."

"Before or after I get over the feeling of being totally creeped out by all of you?"

Ray sent her a wide, toothy smile that reminded her of the cat that had swallowed the canary. "That, my friend, is what we're going to find out."

* * *

>0

Changed a few things around; decided to introduce Flash and Iris a littler earlier than in BITS


	5. I May Be A Loser But At Least I'm Not Al...

**_Drowning In The Clouds_**

_Author_: KuriQuinn

_Title_: Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom_: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all.

_Rating_: R for language, mature themes and possible violence in later chapters

_Pairing_: Figure it out.

_Takes-Place_: Alternate Universe

_Summary_: Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

* * *

>0**Chapter Four: I May Be A Loser, But At Least I'm Not Alone**

"Dude, I get all of your CD's," Ray said, shaking his head as Miyami shovelled down the steaming bowl of the cafeteria's mushroom-rice surprise, not even pausing to breathe or to wipe her mouth. Chaya watched in amazement, absently nibbling at her own sandwich.

She and Ray weren't the only ones watching the girl with a mixture of disgust and awe; Flash and Tyson were intent and open-mouthed at the spectacle, while Iris wrinkled her nose in distaste, trying to look away and failing miserably. Max appeared worried for Miyami's health and Johnny…Johnny looked impressed.

Chaya understood why, of course.

The cafeteria at Bethany High served very _unique_ food, which in most cases had adverse effects on the students' health. Chaya had learned this within days of arriving, and was therefore amazed to see her friend ploughing through it as though it was a bowl of tiramisu. Miyami was drawing shocked stares from students and teachers alike across the cafeteria, which was impressive considering the size of the place.

The large room itself was a plain affair, and although it had a lunch line and salad bar, the teachers insisted that it be called the 'dining hall'. Ms. Clarkson had even seen to it that the tables and benches were arranged to make many small dining tables that sat eight students each. On her second day there, Chaya had been about to sit with another student from her math class, but had been pulled away by Ms. Clarkson and patiently explained that although she may have had more freedom in previous schools, at Bethany High the seats they had at the beginning of the year lasted until the end of the year. Clarkson had already ordered one student from every table to indicate the names of their seatmates so that she could be sure of where they were. There was no mixing with other tables permitted, so as to keep a 'cozy' kind of feeling.

The laws about the lunch tables seemed strange to Chaya, who had always been free to sit with whomever she wanted at lunch. Not that she minded the current group, she reflected, but she didn't appreciate being told where to sit and what to do. Neither did she appreciate the teachers shooing the students from place to place at recess. Although Bethany High School was a large, two-story school, with lockers, a gymnasium, "dining hall" and a common room, students were not permitted to loiter in any of these areas unless a teacher supervised them. They were not allowed to get their books from their lockers during the day, and the common room was locked to both the juniors and the seniors with the rare exception. The only place to go was the library, where you got kicked out if you said even one word, let alone laughed out loud.

And once you got past the stupid laws and rules, there were the teachers and classes to contend with. The first teacher to come to mind was Ms. Clarkson, who was known by all, and disliked by most. After her first day at Bethany, Chaya had realized there was no point to trying to get on Ms. Clarkson's good side once her mind was made up. Even when she had held the door open for her that morning, the woman had managed a snide, "I was right in thinking those detentions would do some good. You're already learning to be a better person, Chaya-Amelia." Instead of trying to play the butt-kissing idiot, Chaya worked out a system of avoiding the vice-principal, which wasn't hard considering her voice could be heard carrying over the stairs as she lectured some poor unsuspecting junior.

As if it wasn't enough to have to listen to Clarkson tirade about school values on a personal basis, she was also in charge of the almost daily school assemblies and a special general instruction each week for each grade. It counted as a class and in it, she tried to indoctrinate them to the behaviour she wanted them to accustom themselves to.

Only one other teacher riled Chaya as much as Clarkson did, and that was Mrs. Giles, who was not only her math teacher, but taught the physical science class as well. It was obvious from the way the woman treated her during class, that like Clarkson, she was a first-impression type of person.

Of course, after you made it through the restrictive building and the strange faculty and were still able to navigate yourself around, the rest of the school made it extremely difficult. By the end of the first week, Chaya had made enemies of the various "popular" cliques by refusing to take orders from them and then getting into a verbal scuffle with the so-called "leader" Claire Marchand once again. This had resulted in both of them staying after school to serve a detention for using 'colourful language', where their task was to clean all the black-boards and sweep the floors of all the classes. Because of this detention, Chaya had once again become acquainted with the creepy janitor from the week before.

The final hurtle to surviving teenagerdom at Bethany High was embodied in the five inch taller, smirk-wearing, all-around-jerk Kai Hiwatari who was known by his friends as Kai and everyone else that was either too afraid to even go near him or by those that hated him, as ''Hiwatari '. Keeping out of his way turned out to be a challenge in view of the fact that the following day she made the unhappy discovery that he was in her art class when he promptly stole her chair as though to make a point. Deciding there was no purpose to causing a racket just as the teacher walked into the room, Chaya had opted for the seat in the corner next to the artsy kids.

Chaya's dislike for her fellow student was capped only by Ms. Clarkson, and the mark only missed by a little. She could tell from what she saw herself and by what she heard in rumors, that Hiwatari was a bully and a jerk that followed the rules at his leisure and could be found during recess sneaking a smoke behind the school cafeteria with his buddies. His 'bad-boy' attitude seemed to attract many stupid girls, Chaya decided, considering he seemed to have a new girlfriend every other day, and he was always surrounded by them in the hallway even if they did keep their distance. She didn't understand why though, considering he barely even looked at them let alone spoke to him. When he spoke it was an insult and nothing else. He blatantly disrespected people in general, and whenever he walked by her, he stuck his foot out to trip her, or pushed her books out of her hands, the condescending smirk never wavering.

Keeping out of trouble in school was also a bit harder than she had thought it would be, what with the teachers enforcing the strangest rules she had ever heard of. Like the law about not being allowed to decorate their own school agendas, which Chaya found out about the hard way when Mrs. Giles picked up her Johnny Depp plastered agenda, confiscated it, and then informed her that she now had to purchase a new one at the price of ten dollars because she had 'defaced' her own.

It hadn't helped that she had been doodling an unflattering caricature of her math teacher in the book just before it had been confiscated.

The only possible reprieve for her out of the entire school was lunch-time, when she got to have some intelligent conversation with her new group of friends…or as intelligent as it ever got with them. From them she discovered that she wasn't the only one to get in trouble for stupid reasons. Miyami had once been lectured because she wore a bright red headband instead of the sold black, navy or white one that matched the dress code.

Speaking of Miyami…

The girl hadn't seemed to notice her audience at all as she wolfed everything down, only stopping when her plate was clean, and it was then that she took a large gulp of the water next to her. She looked up after swallowing, noticing the glances she was getting from everyone. "What?"

"Do you have a death wish?" Ray asked.

"No, but I do have a math quiz third period after lunch," the silvery-blond haired girl replied matter-of-factly, looking as though she was debating between going for seconds or not.

Chaya frowned comically. "Point taken. Maybe I should have some of that too."

"With what you're eating, I'm surprised you haven't died yet," Iris remarked, eying Chaya's sandwich warily. "That's disgusting."

"Hey, there is nothing wrong with a Gut-Buster!" Chaya protested, taking a large bite out of said sandwich to prove her point. Iris made a face and looked away, only looking back again when Chaya had swallowed. "Try some!"

The hazel-eyed girl shrank away when Chaya offered her the sandwich, and shuddered. "Cheese, pickles and mustard do not make a sandwich."

"Sure they do!"

"Ignore her, Iris doesn't eat anything but air," Flash mumbled.

"Not true! C'mon; look at it, it's revolting!"

"It's perfectly healthy," Chaya rolled her eyes, catching sight of the teachers talking animatedly over at their table, which was conveniently directly across from Chaya and her friends'. She had noticed Clarkson staring over beadily several times and had therefore come to her own conclusion as to why the placement was the way it was.

"How? It looks like a lethal chemical combo," Iris remarked. "I'm surprised it doesn't come with a Bio-Hazard sticker." With a smirk, Chaya picked apart her sandwich. "Stop it, that's gross!"

"I'm just trying to show you the basic health points," the blond grinned, gesturing in an over-dramatic way as she went of the dynamics of her sandwich. Beside her, Ray and Johnny were sniggering in amusement. "See, there are four basic food-groups-all in one sandwich! Pickles are veggies, the cheese covers dairy, the bread covers the grain, and --- "

She stopped talking as she suddenly felt the sandwich fly out of her hand in back of her somewhere. There was a muffled 'plop', a curse and a clatter behind her.

She winced, noticing the expressions on her friend's faces, slowly turning around to check out the damage she had caused.

The scene would have been funny if it hadn't been so serious.

Hiwatari, who seemed to have been on his way past the teachers table to his own friends', stood as though he had been turned to stone, creamy white mushroom-rice surprise slopped all down his front to puddle both around his feet, and down the back of Ms. Clarkson's pantsuit. The woman was having a total melt-down, craning around trying to figure out where the stuff had been spilled on her. Hiwatari, on the other hand, seemed to recover from his shock and had whipped his head around, eyes fastening on Chaya.

"I'd run if I were you," Max's voice said from somewhere behind.

She nodded. "Way ahead of you."

She ducked down under the table, her face turning red. She felt a giddy sense of mischief and fought down her own nervous giggle when she heard the sudden burst of laughter from all sides of the cafeteria. Thankfully, this time it wasn't directed at her. She crawled through the various pairs of legs at her table, intent on escaping from beneath and sprinting to the safety of the halls before either of her unwitting victims could catch up to her.

She wrenched herself from beneath the table, ready to run when the sound of someone clearing their throat above her made her look up and wince. Hiwatari was leaning over her, glaring. The mushroom-rice surprise that was still drenching him was already beginning to become crusty on his clothing.

"Wow, what happened to you?" she asked innocently, feeling her face turning a darker red than before. She hoped he would take it as her being out of breath and quickly stood up, hoping that the quick rush of air would cool her cheeks.

"Nice try, kid," he said coldly, towering over her. "What did I tell you about not getting in my way?"

"Uh, not to?" she volunteered, her eyes flicking to Clarkson who was being aided by two teachers, fighting them off of her because they seemed to be obstacles in her intent to make it over towards Chaya. "Why are we having a review of this? I didn't go anywhere near you or get in your way."

"It's not easy to miss your face in the crowd, mostly because of the interesting color it is right now," Chaya's face flushed even darker at this. "Besides, I'm not blind, I saw you." He moved and for a moment she thought that he was going to walk away after just giving her a warning.

Definitely the wrong thought.

He had reached over casually and plucked a carton of milk off of her brother's plate, and before she knew what was happening, she felt a thick, gluttonous trickle dripping over her hair, down her neck and between her eye and nose. He sent her a malicious look as she sputtered indignantly.

"I'm not going to be the only one walking around like this," he said, pressing the now empty carton into her hands. "But wait a sec…I have a change of clothes…"

Leaving her standing tensely in the middle of the cafeteria, her feet rooted to the ground, still noticing the slow _drip-drip_ of the milk down the bridge of her nose, Hiwatari made his way towards the doors of the cafeteria.

"Well that was enlightening," she heard Flash say sarcastically under his breath, nearly unheard by all the laughter in the cafeteria.

She clenched her fists, dropping the carton and before she thought better of it, had snatched a chunk of bread from her brother's plate and lobbed it through the air, hitting Hiwatari squarely in the back of the head.

"Mizuhara!"

She winced, and slowly turned around to face the none-too-pleased vice principal, who was still covered in the remnants of the meal Hiwatari had spilled on her and tapping her foot expectantly.

"I will see you in my office right now," the woman breathed, her nostrils flaring, and Chaya nodded miserably.

Ten minutes later, she was once again sitting on the couch that seemed to have become a permanent fixture on her behind. Clarkson was desperately trying to mop up the mushroom-rice surprise from her clothes, but to no avail. She kept glaring at Chaya angrily, but the looks went unnoticed as Chaya mused at her own anger. Clarkson hadn't even gone after Hiwatari for his less than innocent part in that day's events. After all, he had poured a carton of milk over her head, which was just as bad as throwing a half-eaten sandwich across the room and having it upset a bowl of mush over a teacher.

Well, maybe not as bad, but it was still worth getting punished over.

This fact didn't stop Clarkson from keeping her in the office for most of the rest of the day, going over the same issues again and again heatedly.

"…throwing perfectly good food at another student and the blatant disrespect you've shown for the teachers, theft of confiscated items – oh yes, I know for a fact you stole those skates back, Chaya-Amelia – and your attitude is a definite problem…"

"Last time I checked, I have freedom of speech," Chaya muttered under her breath, although Clarkson didn't seem to hear that comment. "And I didn't steal anything."

"And those rollerblades that you wore on the first day were a figment of my imagination?" She sent Chaya a grim smirk of triumph.

Chaya felt compelled to say that they were, but the look on Clarkson's face made her think better of it. "No."

"'No' what?"

Chaya gritted her teeth, hating the person that had invented 'etiquette' with a bloody passion. "No Ms. Clarkson."

"Than who was it?" Clarkson demanded. Chaya pressed her lips together. She may have been desperate to get out of the situation, but she wasn't a snitch either. "No answer? No tough-guy remarks, Chaya-Amelia? No swift story to get you off the hook?" She refrained from saying anything, clenching her fists and glaring at the floor. "I demand that you return them to me immediately, considering they were taken from me while in my custody. That's theft, Chaya-Amelia, not something you should be getting in the habit of."

Chaya stared. Was this woman serious? "You want me to go home to get my rollerblades, to give them to you for the rest of the year?"

"Precisely."

She _was_ serious; over the stupidest thing that Chaya had ever heard of. Well, if this woman thought for one second that she was going to go and get _her_ rollerblades, which she had bought with _her_ money and hand them over just because they had been confiscated, she had another thing coming to her.

Keeping the biting retort from her voice, she manufactured the most innocent guise she could as she looked back at the vice principal. "But Ms. Clarkson, those blades are too bulky to carry on the bus, and the regulation in the agenda says I can't wear them to school. Would you like to come by my house and pick them up tonight? I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind meeting you."

Clarkson's eyes narrowed and Chaya had a feeling she'd just saved her rollerblades from certain demise by the hands of the annoying woman.

But it was not without a price.

"Fine, have it your way. I'm giving you a Saturday morning detention, to hopefully cure your dishonest tendencies," Clarkson said, leaning back in her chair and writing something down. "That means seven o'clock this Saturday for three hours, you're mine." Chaya felt like throwing up. "And I'm sending you home to get changed. You have one hour."

"Gee, thanks," Chaya said loudly, unable to hold back the great amount of sarcasm in her tone.

"Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day for you, Chaya-Amelia," the woman sighed, a bright, phoney smile appearing on her face as she passed over Chaya the note excusing her for an hour. "I really hope it is."

"Sure you do," she muttered under her breath. "That's why you allowed that jerk Hiwatari to get away scot-free---"

"What was that?"

"Nothing," she said quickly, grabbing her bag. "I, uh, bumped my knee."

"I hope that's all it was," Clarkson's nostrils flared, and as she closed the door behind her, Chaya rolled her eyes.

Wonderful, in trouble again, she thought bitterly. It seemed as though bad luck seemed to be running rampant lately, and there wasn't anything she could do about it. That and all these trips to Ms. Clarkson's office were taking serious time out of her class attendance. If she didn't start doing something about it, she wasn't going to do very well on her report card…

As she sauntered down the hallway to her locker room, Chaya shuffled her feet, her spirits lower than they had been that day. Mostly because of anger and frustration caused by that annoying woman. What had she ever done to Clarkson, besides be late one morning?

The cheerful artwork on the walls of the school seemed to leer back at her with taunts of freedom that she didn't seem to have here. Even the smack of her feet against the floor seemed to have more of a life of its own.

"Whoa, hey, don't flatten me, Milky," a voice said and she looked up just in time to see Ray jump out of the way, even though he was grinning at her.

"Very funny," she replied wryly, walking towards her locker. "Am I going to be stuck with that nickname for the remainder of being at Bethany High?"

"Probably," he replied as they reached her locker.

"What are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be in class?"

"I should, but I told my teacher I needed to be excused. I was actually hoping to run into you. Everyone wants to know what happened to you. I mean, I think you're the first one around here to stand up to Kai publicly and only get milk spilled on you. Have you even heard the rumours?"

"Hard for me too, considering I was in Clarkson's office getting chewed out for the whole episode. What I don't get is why he didn't at least get yelled at for dunking milk over my head," Chaya winced at the sour smell that was surrounding her from her hair and her clothes, grabbing her book-bag. "I mean, she saw as well as the next person what he did! And I don't see her as the whole 'an eye for an eye' type of person."

Ray shrugged, watching her put the remainder of her homework books into her bag. "I told you. As long as Kai's grandfather is backing him, he doesn't get in trouble."

"And how is that fair? No one complains to the school board?"

"Well, you see, they would, if his grandfather wasn't Voltaire Oreskovic."

Chaya dropped her bag, squishing her toes beneath its heavy bulk, although she didn't seem to notice. "The Russian ambassador is Hiwatari's _grandfather_!"

"Yeah, that was the reaction of everyone else too," Ray shrugged apologetically.

"Then why isn't he going to some sob-story-private school? His parents not on good terms with his grandfather?"

"Actually, his parents died. He lives with his grandfather. And he did go to a school like that, but got kicked out."

"Oh," Chaya murmured, feeling the pain through her shoes now that she actually acknowledged the weight on her feet. She hurriedly pulled the bag up and closed her locker.

"Anyway, enough about that. I was going to ask you this later, but do you want to come to my birthday bash? I mean, my birthdays not until October, but the party's this week-end."

"Uh…might be a problem," Chaya said, making a face. "My mom's family's celebrating Rosh Hashanah and we always go over – if we're on the same continent, anyway. Its tradition…or at least that's what my mom says. Max and I both know it's my mom's family attempting trying to make us über-religious."

"Oh. Well, that sucks."

"Yeah…hey, I'll ask my parents if I can get out of this year and then I'll get back to you, okay?"

"Sure," Ray sent her a warm smile.

"Who else is going?"

"Everyone that sits at our table, and a bunch of other kids. It's a beach party – er, Lake party. Over at Lake Hefner. 'Bout half-an-hour from here."

"Sounds cool," she heard someone coming down the hallway and hefted her bag over her shoulder. "Listen, I have to get home and change out of milken-costume before Clarkson stops me again for something like 'smelling up the hallways'."

Ray laughed and waved her off, and she trotted out of the entrance, handing the note to the receptionist as she walked out. The sun was hot on her skin and she wished she hadn't worn her black AFI shirt to school that day, both because of the heat and because the milk was now seeping into it, causing a musty, sour-smell to permeate her nostrils.

She couldn't lie, she thought as she headed towards the bus and caught the next one quickly; the bus driver didn't spare her a glance as she flashed him her bus pass and went to sit at the back, which was amazingly empty. The day had not been boring, and she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

With her track record, it was probably an indication that she had better slow down and lay low for a while. That meant no more attitude when if came to teachers, and no more provoking other students no matter how much they deserved it.

(-)

"Chaya?" her father asked uncertainly as she walked into the house through the hobby-shop entrance, tossing her bag angrily over the counter and starting upstairs. She didn't even bother with the strange looks she was getting from the few customers that inhabited the shop. "You're home early – where's Maxie? How was school? Did something happen?"

Her father was a head taller than her, with tanned skin and thick hair and a beard. Somewhat narrowed Asian eyes regarded her with a mixture of affection and confusion, and his head was cocked to one side. His mouth, which was usually curled upwards in a smile, was tight as he awaited her answer.

"Yes I'm home early – Maxie's at school – School was the same as usual, a big square building filled with boredom and despair – yes, something happened, I got sent home from school to change out of this rancid shirt because some guy dunked milk over my head because I accidentally covered him in the school's muck," Chaya answered right off the bat, barely sparing her father a glance. "No, I don't want to go into details. Just wait for the phone-call you'll probably be getting any time now."

"Not again…"

"Dad, why can't I just be home schooled!" she yelled down the stairs, grumbling.

"Because no one can stay home to teach you," was the amuse reply. "Besides, what would you study?"

From her doorway she sent a grimly amused look downward, even though she knew her father couldn't see her through the floor. "Easy! Simple wizardry, xenobiology and ninjutsu."

She paused, and then heard a sigh from downstairs. "…I should have expected that…"

* * *

>0

There we go. Slightly more polished delivery than the original. MWaha!

Kuriness


	6. Dance Around the Playground

**_Drowning In The Clouds_**

_Author_: KuriQuinn

_Title_: Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom_: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all.

_Rating_: R for language, mature themes and possible violence in later chapters

_Pairing_: Figure it out.

_Takes-Place_: Alternate Universe

_Summary_: Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

_Note: _Bethany is a real place, but for the sake of my fic I combined both Bethany Middle School and Bethany High School. Anyone that lives in Bethany…gomen if I screwed up my portrayal of life in Bethany…

* * *

>0

**Chapter Five: Dance Around the Playground **

Despite Chaya's resolution not to mess with annoying students that happened to have rich grandfather's that could get them out of trouble, she couldn't help but retaliate the next day later when Hiwatari put a thumbtack on her chair during assembly. In revenge, she slipped a latex glove that she had stolen from the science lab and filled with as much water as it could take under him just as he was sitting down in for math-class. This particular action prompted him to 'accidentally' knock a can of pitch-black paint over her and her drawing the following art class.

It was as though there had been a declaration of war after that, because what followed over the few days were various acts of revenge against each other. One day Chaya followed him to the washrooms and tossed a baking soda bomb in behind him, and he emerged moments later, looking murderously at her from beneath the white gunk. That same day he had stuck a big glob of gum in her hair that she spent the entire night trying to get out, and finally had to cut it out entirely.

The next morning in math, she glued his fingers to his desk while he flirted with one of the girls in their class. The janitor, as well as the school nurse had to be called in so that he didn't rip the pads off of his fingers. At lunch that day he stuck a sign with the words 'garbage disposal' on it on her back and she spent the entire lunch period having a bunch of juniors dump their half-full trays over her until Miyami discovered the sign. She had ripped it off and glared at him from his seat across the 'dining hall' as he smirked back.

Later she snuck into Jackson's private stocks, grabbed the superglue and slipped into his French class where they were watching a slide show of some sort. She managed to stick the soles of his shoes to the floor so that when he finally tried to get up when the bell rang, he had nearly toppled the desk over. The only way he could get out of it was to undo his shoes and walks around barefoot for the day. Chaya had seen Jackson trying to get the stuck-on Doc Martins from the floor using a spatula.

He rigged her locker so that all of her belongings fell on her, knocking her into the ground.

She digitally edited pictures of him that Ray gave her, showing him in a tube-top and fishnets.

He hung her gym clothes, which included her sports bra, from the history room window.

She rigged a door so that a bucket of water fell on him…

The pranks seemed to go on and on, and they weren't unnoticed. Both Chaya, and to her muted satisfaction, Hiwatari, were hauled into Clarkson's office on more than one occasion that week to listen to the woman drone on and on about how horribly behaved they were and what a bad influence they were on the other students. Something Chaya discovered that she had in common with the other teen was that neither of them could stay awake in the vice principals office, which resulted in a two-hour detention after school for the both of them when they had fallen asleep in the middle of one of her lectures.

And not one of the normal detentions where they had to help the janitor around the school, doing the messy and difficult, character building jobs, either. Clarkson made them sit in front of a clock for those two hours, motionless and in perfect posture. If there was ever a bigger waste of time, it would have been that.

Of course, the detention had promptly become a contest to see who could sit still longest, which explained Chaya's sore back and knees the following day from the ramrod straight position she had taken.

"Man, you just don't give up," Ray whistled as he, Chaya and Miyami walked to their classes two days only moments after the water-bucket incident. "And I thought Miyami was stubborn."

"Sometimes it's not a good thing," Chaya grumbled, looking down at the five bright pink slips that poked out of her agenda. "I can't do anything after school any day next week."

"Yeah, but thanks to you, neither can Hiwatari," the other girl smirked. "I don't think he's ever gotten caught as many times in his life as he has this week."

"Heh, serves him ri-aaaah!" Chaya yelled out suddenly as her left foot hooked on something and she toppled over. She heard a bunch of loud guffaws from none other than Kai Hiwatari and his annoying lackeys.

Despite being soaking wet, dripping a huge mess down onto the floor, he was smirking at her grimly, almost satisfied with his last little stunt. She tried to pick herself up off of the floor, her face flaming at the screeching laughter of the scantily clad girls that were hanging off of both of Hiwatari's lackeys. The redhead, whose name she had learned was Tala Ivanov, grinned at her almost lecherously, his clear blue eyes a frightening combination with his hair. He was holding onto his arm-warmer tightly, not even bothering to notice that his grip on her arms was leaving bruises. The other guy's name was Bryan Kuznetsov – the same Bryan that Haley had been stacking with erasers just a few days earlier – and Chaya wasn't sure if he couldn't talk or just didn't. He had never said one word while she was around, but according to Miyami, no one else had ever heard him talk before either.

She half-expected him to be hauling on a joint or something, but he was just sending her an unimpressed look, as though she was the reason he had been dragged on a trek around the school just to watch Kai humiliate her.

"Gravity not your friend today, Mizuhara?"

She forced herself to look back at Hiwatari and plastered a challenging look on her face. "Piss off, Hiwatari, you're not wanted here. What's your problem anyway?"

"Look into a mirror and find out."

"You're soggier than usual. You do know it's 'take shower and _then_ get dressed', right? Not the other way around."

"Don't play stupid you little bitch."

She looked over at her friends in mock-shock, ignoring their strained looks as they watched Hiwatari and his group warily. "Oh, he swore…" she sent him a triumphant glance. "I think someone's getting a little peeved that I'm getting the better of you in your old age."

He leered at her, almost bearing his teeth. "You wish."

"Actually, I know," she smirked. "I mean, it looks to me like you're running out of spare clothes."

"At least that's all I'm running out of. I've got more ideas than I need to put you in your place."

"And then you woke up and it was all a dream."

The bell rang and most of the other students and stragglers hurried to class so as not to be late, but Chaya and Hiwatari continued to glare at each other as though nothing had happened. It was safe to say that even if there had been an earthquake, neither of them would have budged from their spots. "I'm not letting this go."

"Neither am I."

"That's something you'll regret," he sneered.

"Oh really? What are you going to do? Tell your grandfather?" she snapped, hearing Ray make a shocked sound of warning.

If possible, his eyes narrowed even more and Chaya got the distinct impression that she had just hit a very sensitive nerve. Obviously Hiwatari didn't like people mentioning his grandfather. "If you weren't a girl, I'd –"

"If I weren't a girl you'd what?" she asked frostily, her voice so sharp that the giggling from the arm-warmers stopped and they looked over at her, almost confused. She was glaring at Hiwatari dangerously. "You'd beat the crap out of me? And the only reason you haven't is because I'm a girl? Don't give me that total bullshit, Hiwatari. I went to school in New York; walked there too and from every day. What makes you think I didn't learn how to take care of myself in any situation?" His eyes proclaimed their hatred for her as she continued, uncaring for what his problem was. "So go ahead and try something. I'll have you flat on your ass before you can say 'bitch' again."

"I doubt that," his voice was low and cold.

For a moment, she actually believed he was going to let loose and hit her. Just reach out and land a direct blow. He was close enough to do so. Her friends seemed to have the same idea, because after a beat, both Ray and Miyami had moved; Miyami pulled her backwards and Ray stepped in front of her, staring down Kai while he stood in a very defensive position.

"Come on, Kai, let it alone," the Chinese teenager said, his voice hard as he spoke to his fellow Junior. "We've got class now. You don't want to be late, right?"

The slate-haired teen looked as though didn't care if he was late or not, but after a moment of his brunette girlfriend tugging on his arm, he seemed to think better of it. After another frosty glare in Chaya's direction, he had turned around and was leading his little troupe of lackeys back down the hall. Their giggling started up again as they turned the other corner, and was the last remnant of anything that had just happened.

The hallways were now empty, save for Chaya and her two friends, both of whom were looking at her and shaking their heads. Ray especially looked disturbed and somewhat regretful when he turned to face her.

"You're going to get it, Chays, Kai really does settle things," he warned, running his fingers through his hair in agitation. "Last year a kid tried to get the better of him and ended up having to be transferred because she went into a nervous breakdown. He even got to her at home. Gotta tell you, the fifteen anchovy pizzas routine doesn't go out of style…"

"Yeah, I'll get it, and I'll give it right back," she replied carelessly as they passed by the sports-board, where that season's sports tryouts lists had been displayed. She paused for a moment, her eyes roving over the schedules in search of something that would actually be fun to try out for. "I've dealt with jerks like Hiwatari before, and the secret it not to let them intimidate you."

"Yeah, and the secret to life is to actually survive it," Miyami deadpanned. "You're going to get it."

Chaya snorted, not looking away from the board. After a moment she reached for the pen that was attached to the bored by a red wool string and thumbtack and signed her name up for the volleyball and soccer try-outs. She ended up gripping and pressing the pen so tightly that she pushed a hole clean through the paper. Swearing, she finished signing and then looked back at her two worried friends. "Don't worry 'bout me, guys. I'm not going to regret any of this. And if he tries something, I'll deal with it. It's high school. Not the end of the world. What can happen?"

Miyami let out a whistle. "Ten bucks says that you're going to shrivel up and cry, that's what's gonna happen."

"Thanks, Yami, it's wonderful to have a supportive group of friends."

"Hey, we're perfectly supportive, we're just not insane," Miyami replied brazenly. "If it were me, I'd have just stuck a pressure-bomb in the exhaust-pipe of his motorcycle and been over with i---"

"He has a motorcycle?" Chaya raised an eyebrow, a grin appearing on her face as they continued onward.

"Uh, yeah…"

A pause, before, "Chaya has an idea…"

"Does Chaya always talk about herself in the third person?" Ray teased, clearly amused. The entire episode with Hiwatari was forgotten as though it had never transpired.

"Chaya does."

Miyami snorted. "Chaya needs a life."

"Chaya knows."

"So, what's up for this Sunday, can you actually come?" Ray asked as they turned another corner, changing the subject.

"Yeah," Chaya answered. "Both me and Max can, actually. I was able to get my dad to talk my mom into talking my Oma into letting us go just this once. Of course then she handed me the phone and I got an hour long lecture from Oma about how important it is for the family to be together to celebrate Jewish New Year and something about a resolution to behave myself – but it's all good. Now I won't have to see my annoying cousins until Chanukah and Max won't spend his time pretending he's mute."

Miyami guffawed. "What?"

"Well, it's what always happens when we go see my mom's family. Oma and Great Aunt Amalie always bully me and Maxie into speaking Yiddish – they refuse to answer us if we don't. And Max never learned to speak well enough so he just doesn't speak around them anymore. It's really funny to see him pointing at stuff or just begging me to ask for him."

"Your family's weird," Ray teased and when Chaya sent him a less than amused look he put his hands up defensively. "And I mean that in the best possible way."

"Uh huh, sure."

"No, really!"

"Yeah. I believe you. Thousands wouldn't, but I do."

They all laughed together for a moment, before Ray stopped and turned to the girls.

"Well, this is where I get off," he announced, nodding towards a classroom to their left where they could hear the loud intonations of the teacher, going on about grammatically correct and incorrect sentences. "I'll either see you guys after school or on Sunday."

"Got it," Chaya grinned, watching him go.

For a moment it seemed as though he had flashed her a grin that was meant only for her, but by the time he turned around again she was sure it had just been her seeing things. Or making them up. 'Stupid wishful thinking.'

"Right – hey, have you done the history notes yet? You know, the ones from page five to eighteen?" Miyami chatted as the two girls walked on a little more and turned into their geography class. The room was already full of students laughing and shouting, holding their private conversations amongst themselves as they waited for their teacher.

She inadvertently caught Claire's eye and found herself on the receiving end of a glare, which she returned promptly.

"Chaya?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you done your – "

"Yeah, I heard you the first time," Chaya said with a grin. "I haven't finished the notes yet so no, you can't copy them."

Miyami made a face. "Damn."

"But you could come to my house tomorrow, we can both finish our notes, you can sleep over and then the next day Dad can drive us to Lake Hefner. Piece of cake," Chaya said cheerfully as the girls took their seats at the back of the class.

"Go to your house?"

Miyami sounded doubtful and Chaya frowned. "Is there a problem with my house?"

"Nah, I just never figured you'd be having me over so soon. Usually people I've only know for two weeks wait a while before they invite me over," the silver-eyed girl explained. "I think it's something to do with my thing where I do random stuff."

"Spontaneity?"

"Yeah, that word there," Miyami grinned.

"Oh, well then you'll fit right in at my house," Chaya smirked. "It's like a mad-house."

The teacher walked into the room and the student chatter died down slightly. Miyami leaned closer to Chaya and whispered, 'So where exactly do you live?"

"Like two minutes from here – I'm over on Northwest Thirty-Eight – here, gimme your agenda and I'll write it dow – "

"Chaya, is there something you would like to share with the class?" the amused voice of their geography teacher boomed across the room.

Chaya grinned up at the giant of a man, a look of complete innocence on her face. "Just that I find geography _such_ an interesting class. Right on, Mr. Riel."

There was some scattered chuckling and the blond man shook his head with a smile on his face. "Then I guess you wouldn't mind demonstrating on the map up here where our country's primary oil reservoirs are."

Chaya winced, but grinned even as she stood up and slipped between the crammed desks that filled the room. "Of course not."

Damn, she was going to need to do some quick thinking to get out of this one…

* * *

>0

Shorter than the last chapter, but hey. I needed to fix it up because it was originally a fic with the song _Feel Good Times_ by Pink in it. And I'm cutting back on my song-ficage.

I actually have family members like 'Oma' and 'Aunt Amalie' who won't answer me if I don't speak to them in German, so I figured I'd put that in for Chaya. Works, doesn't it?

Also, any places that I mentioned are actual, geographical landmarks and if I screwed that up somehow (don't ask me how I could have, it sometimes happens with me), gomen.

Ciaoza,

Kuriness


	7. Crawfish Haven

**_Drowning In The Clouds_**

_Author_: KuriQuinn

_Title_: Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom_: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all.

_Rating_: R for language, mature themes and possible violence in later chapters

_Pairing_: Figure it out.

_Takes-Place_: Alternate Universe

_Summary_: Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

_Note: _Bethany is a real place, but for the sake of my fic I combined both Bethany Middle School and Bethany High School. Anyone that lives in Bethany…gomen if I screwed up my portrayal of life in Bethany…

* * *

>0

**Chapter Six: Crawfish Haven **

Chaya turned to the next page of her book, bouncing her head up and down in rhythm with the music coming from her radio clock. The mattress of her bed shook as she kicked her feet back and forth in time with the music. She lay comfortably on her bed, her school books spread out around her as though she was doing her work – which she had been doing in the beginning. But she had caught sight of one of her _Harry Potter_ books which had a paper in it – and examining the paper and led to her reading over which page the thing was marking. And reading over that page had led to her completely forgetting about her homework and school books and caused her to let herself get lost in the school of magic…

Chuckling at the thought of a singing dwarf giving out Valentines, she shifted her position. As she read, her thoughts drifted towards those of her own school, where instead of magic she faced annoying teachers and even more annoying Junior. She felt herself thinking back to their little exchange the day before and how cold his eyes had been when he promised that she was going to regret bringing his grandfather into the conversation.

'Che, yeah right,' she thought, realizing in annoyance that she had just read an entire page of her book without taking in any of the information. 'And if he tries anything I'll just dish it all back to him with interest.'

Singing along with the song, her eyes roving over the pages, she felt her heart leap into her throat when all of a sudden there was a heavy weight on her shoulder.

Almost screaming she shot up into a sitting position, dropping her book and staring in shock up at Miyami who looked like she was getting ready to laugh really loudly at Chaya's expense - which she did anyway. "Damn it, Miyami, you scared the hell out of me!"

Still laughing, Miyami shrugged, "I called your name but you can't hear anything over the music. Oh, and speaking of – your dad wants you to turn down the party."

"Party?" Chaya managed to look confused for a moment, before realization dawned on her. "Oh." She reached over across her night table and shut off the radio. "Right."

Miyami was, in the mean time, glancing around Chaya and Max's room, which looked as though a third world war had taken place in the midst of a hurricane. In addition to the bunk-bed, the room held a tall dresser, a desk and a chair. A small closet was in the corner, slightly open due to the wedges of clothing that lay on the floor, keeping it from closing. A small window at the end of the room was the only inkling that this room was more than a closet itself. The walls had been plastered with pictures and newspaper cut-outs of various bands, while one wall was completely dedicated to soccer and sports. Chaya glanced for a moment at the wall that Max had decided to decorate for himself and then shrugged, still maintain that her Johnny Depp poster was better than a Manchester United poster any day.

The floor was unseen in the sea of clothing and papers and other junk that littered it, and Miyami looked down at it with a wrinkled nose. "Man is this a shit pit."

"Hey, all geniuses are messy," Chaya said in an injured tone, instantly regretting having gotten lazy and not cleaned up hers and Max's room.

"Well now I understand why your dad wanted to know if there were any dishes. He wants to have them before they get furry and he has to name them."

Chaya rolled her eyes. "Okay, yeah, I was five years old then and it was the preservatives in the chicken that made the dish do that."

"Ugh, I didn't need to know that," Miyami made a face. She tiptoed across the room and sat down on one of the only spots on Chaya's bunk that wasn't covered with books, laundry or loose paper. She picked up Chaya's book, glancing it over, before putting it down again and sending Chaya curious look. "Why didn't you tell me that you live over a Hobby-shop? I nearly left because I couldn't find your house. I was semi-lucky that your mom spotted me and told me to come in. I felt kind of illegal just walkin' in the back like that."

"Oh yeah, sorry about that," Chaya apologized. "I tend to forget – wait. Judy was the one who let you in?" She felt a sudden suspicion overtake her as she peered curiously over at her friend. Her mother never greeted anyone that might be a friend of hers…

"Yeah and – sorry to say this – but your mom's weird. Does she give everyone the third degree, or just me?"

"Just my friends," Chaya explained with a resigned tone in her voice. "It's like she's trying to keep tabs on their faces so that if anything happens she knows who they are and can call the police to give the one of those facial descriptions."

"Weird."

"Yeah. I'm just surprised she even talked to you. She doesn't like people that look and act like I do."

Miyami sent her a sarcastic smile and Chaya looked her friend over. Miyami was wearing a Dropkick Murphys shirt and Capri-jeans that had been ripped and re-sewn so many times that it looked like some sort of pattern had been etched into the jeans. "I guess that's why she sounded kind of hopeful when she asked if I was on the cheerleading squad."

"Ugh," Chaya rolled her eyes, not bothering to reply to that.

A shadow passed over them and the two girls looked over to see Max, who was leaning in the doorway with a smirk on his face. "Talking about boys and nail polish, are we?"

"Hey Max, Miyami greeted cheerfully. He didn't reply, instead staring over at Chaya in annoyance.

"Chays, didn't I ask you to clean up the room before she got here? It's embarrassing. You're such a pig."

"And you're annoying. Go away," Chaya said, tossing her pillow at his head. She missed and he caught it easily in his hands, looking unimpressed both at her words and her attempts to hit him.

"It's my room," he shot back, tossing the pillow back at her and narrowly hitting Miyami in the process. "Sorry Yami – and you can't kick me out of my own room, Chays. Didn't Dad say you needed to learn to share?"

"And didn't I tell you that when I have people over you should go bury yourself in your videogames?"

"I'm telling Mom if you don't do something about this mess."

"Oh, yeah, go run to Mommy again you tattle-tale. You really haven't changed since we were kids, Maxie."

Max smirked at her, his usually smiling face ridiculing. "You're just jealous because – "

"Anyway, Miyami, as I was about to ask before I was so rudely interrupted," Chaya said loudly, drowning her brother out and ignoring his presence. "Do you have a pad or a tampon? We're kind of out over here – and I hope it's the right size because I hate when they're so big that – "

Max pulled a disgusted face and fled the room, yelling down the stairs as he went, "Mom, is it too late to have Chaya disowned!"

Marching through the mess, Chaya grabbed the door, slammed it and wandered back to her bed, falling back on it and groaning loudly, pressing the palms of her hands into her eyes. She waited until she could see stars before she glanced over at Miyami and sent her a wry smile. "Take your coat off and stay a while."

Her friend smirked. "What coat?"

"It's a saying, you twit."

"A saying of what?"

"Never mind."

Miyami poked at Chaya history notes, before cocking her head to one side. "So, what was that all about, anyway?"

"Had to get him out somehow," the brown-eyed girl said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Though I don't know why he's so squeamish. He's more girly than I am – I mean he likes housework and shopping and stuff like that. It's weird. I think Someone-Upstairs decided to swap our priorities. He's into all that materialistic crap…and I'm a slob."

"I noticed," Miyami grinned. "But I do understand what it's like to try to get your brother out of your room. I've got two older ones, remember? And an older sister."

"I hear you there," Chaya made a face, thinking of Becky again after so long. The thought of her older, perfect sister made her want to scream in frustration, considering whenever she was mentioned, Chaya's name wasn't far behind it with words of how little she was like Becky. Like this morning when Judy had ever so slightly remarked about how Becky was flying in so that she could spend Rosh Hashanah with the family and how selfish of Chaya it was that she would rather go to a party.

'And of course she was the one that uprooted me from my old home and wants me to make friends here,' she thought sarcastically.

"So…," Miyami trailed off, as though she was finding something to talk about. "Your mom looks really young. If I didn't know she was you mom I'd think she was your sister or something."

Chaya frowned darkly. "Yeah, well that's because she got plastic surgery. See, it's well-known fact that Maxie and me were mistakes. Becky moved away and Judy wanted to look like all the other mothers of our age group so she got the whole enchilada – now she looks like a plastic doll…"

"Ah."

There was a long silence.

"So…can't wait until tomorrow," Miyami remarked. Chaya noticed that her friend seemed to be trying to avoid anything to do with the subject of their homework. Not that she really blamed her. Who wanted to spend their time doing homework on a Saturday?

"Me neither. I mean, who wouldn't want to see Ray topless?"

"Yeah," Miyami laughingly agreed. The two girls exchanged glances and Chaya felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Oh…you like Ray."

"Well, yeah," Miyami said quickly, her cheeks turning a delicate pink. "But that's because everyone likes Ray. He's popular with practically every social group out there, plus the teachers, plus everyone's parents. And he's hot." Then she looked away for a second. "Besides, I already had my chance. I asked him out last year and he said yes and we went to eat at a sushi bar downtown and it, uh, it didn't turn out too well."

"Why?" Chaya questioned, arranging herself in a more comfortable position on her bed. "Did you throw up on him or have something hanging out of your nose or something like that?"

"No!" Miyami looked scandalized at the idea. "I – see – well…my hair kind of caught fire."

"What!" Chaya only meant to cry out but ended up laughing instead.

"Hey, it's not funny!" Miyami protested, although she too had given way to giggles. "It was very hot! And not in the good way either!"

"I just don't understand how you could get your hair caught on fire at a sushi bar of all places."

"Well I'm not telling you how it happened, I'm just telling you that it did and as a result I was so mortified that I told Ray I thought we should only be friends. He was really nice about it and said he had felt the same way the entire time because he'd known me too long anyway. So now we're just buddies…even though I'd still go out with him in a second."

"Cute," Chaya grinned. "So, what should I expect tomorrow? Is it usual for Ray to go to the beach for his birthday, or is it just because it's his sixteenth?"

"Nah, it's a regular attraction," Miyami explained, crawling further into the bunk so that she could lean against the wall and let her legs trail down the other side of the bed. "See, Ray's loaded and his parents always throw him a huge birthday party. He's their pride and joy so it's always a big thing –" made a face as she reached behind her and began pulling at something that was lodged between the bed and the wall, " – See Ray's rich, but he's also liked. It's a rare thing – ooh, Sugar Cult!" Miyami held up the cracked CD case w

"Here, I'll put it on," Chaya said dismissively, still watching Miyami. "What'd he do last year?"

"His parents bought out the movie theatre downtown and invited practically the entire school," the pale girl said as Chaya leaned over and placed her CD in the stereo located on the desk.

"You're shittin' me."

"I shit you not. They's loaded."

_'…I'm bouncing off the walls again…whoa! And I'm lookin' like a fool again, whoa! Throw away my reputation…' _

"So what're you going to wear to this so-called party?" Miyami asked and Chaya shrugged.

"I could care less. A bathing suit, probably. You know, considering there will be swimming involved."

"Har-de-har. You take the fun out of life. I was thinking about going 'au natural'."

Chaya made a face. "Yuck, spare us all."

"Ouch, that hurts. Right in the depths of my heart," Miyami put her hand on her chest and pretended to wince in pain as though Chaya's words had reall cut her to the quick. Chaya rolled her eyes at her friend.

"Yami, your heart's on the other side of your chest."

"Oh. Uh. Right! It hurts _here_ in the depths of my chest," the girl abruptly switched hands and Chaya laughed out loud. "Anyway – you figured out how you're going to deal with Hiwatari yet?"

Chaya groaned loudly and put her hand to her eyes, blocking out the sight of her room. "Are you on that again? Why are you guys so intent on trying to make me afraid of this guy? He's just a bull-headed jerk. I can get around him. I can fight the fight. Anything he throws out, I'll counter."

"Tell you what – " Miyami straightened up against the wall, " – you fight, I'll keep score. And I get all of your worldly possessions if you die."

"Very funny," Chaya cried in mock fury, taking the pillow she had used to try and hit back and lobbing it at her friend's head, hitting her square in the face. Miyami cried out in pretend-anger and thwacked the pillow back at Chaya, which resulted in a fight over the pillow so that they could hit each other with it as many times as was possible. It took a few minutes before both of them tired out and merely lay back on the bed panting and laughing a little.

"Want to go shopping later?" Chaya offered. "Considering you're so lacking in the bathing-suit department?"

"Are you paying for me?"

"Uh…no."

"Killjoy."

"Duh."

There was another silence as the girls listened to the music washing over them and Chaya let her eyes fall closed, wondering if she could doze off without Miyami knowing. She figured that wouldn't happen considering according to Max she snored (she didn't believe him of course. He was probably lying to make her feel bad) and wouldn't want to bug her friend. To her surprise, Miyami shifted and slowly sat up, sliding off of the bed and onto the floor. Out of the corner of her eye, Chaya watched as her friend set about putting the random sheets of loose-leaf into piles and folding the clothes.

"What the hell are you doing?" she asked after another minute of watching this.

"What the hell does it look like?" was the tart reply. "This place is a pigsty and its bothering me. An _artiste_ can not work in a space that is so heavily cluttered and filled with negative energy."

"Since when are you an _artiste_ and when did you become an expert on _Feng Shui_?"

"I'm a perfectionist. I live and breath Feng Shui. Sue me."

Chaya propped herself up on her arms. "Find me the phone and I'll get my lawyer."

"Not gonna happen any time soon, toots."

It took ten minutes before Chaya finally got tired of Miyami rooting around her room and she finally began to feel guilty. After a few initial complaints, she was also on the floor sorting through the junk and clothing, hoping that Miyami wasn't going to make this a regular occurrence. She wasn't used to her friends deciding to up and clean her room. On the contrary, her friends in New York had been more sloppy than she was.

Bethany really was much different from the big city…

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>0

Sorry for the short chapter folks, but it had to be done.

Review! Daiyo!

KQ


	8. Bag of Applejuice

**_Drowning In The Clouds_**

_Author_: KuriQuinn

_Title_: Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom_: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go fuck yourself. That is all.

_Rating_: R for language, mature themes and possible violence in later chapters

_Pairing_: Figure it out.

_Takes-Place_: Alternate Universe

_Summary_: Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

_Note: _Bethany is a real place, but for the sake of my fic I combined both Bethany Middle School and Bethany High School. Anyone that lives in Bethany…gomen if I screwed up my portrayal of life in Bethany…

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>0

**Chapter Seven: Bag of Applejuice **

"So who is this kid again?" Mr. Mizuhara asked in a jolly voice, looking through the rear-view mirror at the four teenagers that were squished together. After a rather long debate, none of the kids had been able to agree on who would sit up front. As a result, they closely resembled sardines in a can the way they were packed in to the back seat of the Volvo station wagon. All of them were dressed for beach weather which seemed to be a good thing considering how hot and stuffy it was in the car.

"Ray, Dad, Ray," Chaya reiterated for the fifth time as she took off and then retied the dark purple bandana that she wore over her hair, to keep her head from burning. Her skin had an annoying habit of breaking out in rashes when she went outside. When it happened to her head it was even more painful…For once she was glad that her mother insisted she wear something on her head. However she hadn't appreciated the 'fair complexion' comments. Two people away from her, Max also wore something over his fair hair. He was slathered in sunscreen and looking cheerful as usual. "I told you that exactly two minutes and thirty-seven seconds ago."

"You actually count the time between things you say?" Tyson asked, looking at her lazily from beneath hooded eyelids.

"You think that's bad?" Max asked under his breath. "She even counts how many lint balls are on her socks in the morning."

Chaya sent an unimpressed look at her brother, but he was saved from any of her snappish and expletive words as her father pulled up to the parking lot in front of the lake. The car jerked to a stop and the four teenagers piled out of the cramped Volvo. Max opened up the trunk and began to hand out all of their beach things.

"Now, I don't want to hear tell of you fooling around with any boys," Chaya's father warned her, raising a finger at her but still smiling.

"Like anyone wants to be around me?" Chaya snorted and rolled her eyes. "I scare people, remember Dad? Besides, most of the jerks around here want the skimpy dressed, easy sluts. I'm no where near easy and I'm going for comfort, not style." She gestured to her jean cut-offs that reached just under her knees as well as the black one-piece bathing suit. There was another reason for the way she was dressed. Chaya had always felt a little self-conscious about her body, despite the way she acted. She wasn't one of the delicate type of girls like Becky or Miyami, with story-book slim figures. She was short, if only by Western standards, and her body was filled-out proportionally. As her mother had once said, she had an ass. Which could be interpreted in many ways… "And hey! What's with warning me and not Maxie! He could be as prone to fooling around with girls as I could be with fooling around with guys!"

"Not likely," Max sniggered, sending her a childish wink that she made a face at.

"Did you bring your pump?" her father continued, as though he hadn't heard her the first time. Chaya rolled her eyes at this less than rare behavior and dug into her pocket, holding up her asthma pump and shaking it around to prove to her dad that it was real.

"Thanks for the lift, Mr. M," Miyami chirped, hefting a large yellow beach bag over her shoulder. She, in comparison to Chaya, was carelessly wearing a yellow-green two-piece that showed off the belly-piercing that Chaya's father was sending doubtful looks at, although he didn't say anything. Chaya had been slightly confused as well considering Miyami was barely a year younger and yet she had managed to get her navel pierced. The girl had finally explained to her the night before that her oldest brother Alec worked in a tattoo and piercing parlor and she had blackmailed him into doing it for her. 'Must have been some damn fine blackmail…'

"It's no problem," Mr. Mizuhara replied graciously. "Are you sure you don't mind walking back later? It's a long way. I could pick you up."

"Nah. Besides, we only asked you to drive because we were running late," Chaya said, waving a hand dismissively. "We can take the bus if worse comes to worse." She looked up at her father. "Now Daddy, I love you, but vamoose!"

He laughed as she strained on her tiptoes to peck him on the cheek and then went to sit back in the car. "That's alright. I know when I'm not wanted. Just make sure you call if you need anything. I leant you my cell-phone for a reason and it isn't to call Japan."

He waved again and backed out of the parking lot, disappearing onto the road. The four teenagers watched him disappear, and Miyami leaned in to Chaya. Through a fixed smile as she continued to wave, she asked, "Didn't you do that this morning?"

"Shh!"

As soon as the dark green station wagon had completely disappeared from anywhere near them, the four teenagers stopped waving and flashing fake smiles. They turned, Tyson and Max leading them towards the beach of Lake Hefner. Max's voice was sarcastic and unimpressed. "I can't believe you used up all of Dad's phone batteries talking to Ryota."

"I wasn't talking to Ryota," Chaya snapped as though the very thought was scandalous. "I was talking to his sister and at the same time yelling curses at said Ryota."

"Whoever this person is, I feel sorry for him," Tyson whistled, running a hand through his hair. It was long and loose today and hanging to his shoulders, once in a while being blown back by the wind.

"You shouldn't," Chaya said forcefully, lugging her wicker bag that held her towel and the group's mini-cooler. Ray had suggested on Friday that they bring one considering how many people were going to be at the party. He hadn't been sure if he could make sure they actually ate. "He's a total jerk and the only reason I put up with him is because he's our cousin. Michiko is the more fun one – she's his older sister – she once snuck me out of Gamma Yoshi's house so we could hang out with some of her friends."

"So that's where you went – I got in trouble for that!" Max cried, looking at his sister resentfully.

"Your family creeps me out," Miyami said, echoing Ray's words from a few days earlier.

If Chaya had anything to say to that, it was lost as the group reached the highest point of the sand dune and looked down on the lake. The large open space was dominated by dozens of teenagers who basked and played about in the sand. The only semblance of an actual packed civilian lake was about a kilometre down on either side, where it had been fenced off with 'private property' signs. All around, there were food tables set up at random spots in the sand and a sound stage with a local rock band called Versus Vale was playing. An all-out game of volleyball was being played further east of them and the lake was a bobbing mass of kids swimming and playing water polo.

Chaya felt her jaw drop. "You didn't tell me he was this rich."

"Yeah I did," Miyami replied, though she sounded as awed as Chaya felt. It was almost like she had forgotten the extent of Ray's good fortune. There was a long beat, before she cleared her throat and said simply, "I dibs marrying him." And she hurried down the sand hill.

"Oh no way!" Chaya yelled after, practically tumbling down the hill to keep up with her friend.

The party was already in full swing as they arrived, looking around them in awe. Music blared from speakers as the band took a break and most people were sitting around in groups on their towels. Claire, Hilary (the brunette that had been hanging off of Hiwatari the week before) and Franka, a redhead that was well-known for being an easy lay, were tanning themselves with huge metal sun visors in one of the sunniest spots on the beack. Haley and Jennifer were putting on sunscreen – though it looked more like they were having a sunscreen war to see who could put more on the other and were generally making a huge mess of themselves.

Iris was running around with a group of boys that were in Chaya's French class, energetically throwing a Frisbee around and debating with them when they said she'd fumbled it. A few towels away, Flash lay on the ground, his nose buried in a thick manga, a sardonic smile on his face.

"Hey guys, over here!" a loud voice shouted over the din, making Miyami and Chaya look up at Ray, who was sitting a ways away with a group of guys. He waved them over as he took a deep chug from a bottle. Chaya exchanged amused glances with her friend as they wandered over, separating with Max and Tyson at the same time.

"This is going to be the best," Chaya grinned.

"Definitely. I can't wait to get some sun," Miyami agreed.

"Well, there's that," Chaya smirked. "And then there's the fact that not even Hiwatari can mess up my day. I get a nice weekend without that jerk. There's a better chance that I'll see the Loch Ness Monster than run into that grease-ball." As the two girls got a little closer, though, Chaya felt the bottom drop out of her stomach as she noticed just who the two people Ray was with. "And here I am in Scotland."

Kai Hiwatari and Tala Ivanov lounged lazily on the beach, both drinking out of plastic cups that held an amber liquid that Chaya seriously doubted was ginger ale. After watching them show up, Ivanov put his drink down next to him and lay backwards, manufacturing a cigarette from nowhere and taking a drag as he squinted up at the sky.

Chaya visibly shuddered when she noticed that he had both of his nipples pierced and hat to force herself not to scream out. Whenever she saw people with piercings like that she couldn't help but shudder. It was just something about her. If she looked at something and thought it hurt, for a moment she actually did feel the pain. Maybe she was just empathetic…or very in tune with the world around her…

Hiwatari was glaring up at her, his eyes hidden behind mirrored Aviator sun glasses. A part of her could actually see why he appealed to the less intelligent females at her school. He was tall and lean, with just the right amount of muscles that he wasn't butch but he wasn't wimpy looking either. The way he tended to just carry himself so carelessly was also a bonus. She noticed out of the corner of her eye the two Japanese characters on his lower abdomen, and had to refrain from studying them further to discern their meanings.

"I'm so glad you could actually make it," Ray was saying, punching Miyami playfully on the shoulder as the two girls moved tentatively forward.

"Yeah, so were we," Miyami told him, flashing a winning smile at the Chinese boy.

"Until about two seconds ago," Chaya added sweetly, sending Hiwatari a glacial look. Although she couldn't see his eyes, she could imagine the message in them considering the sneer upon his lips.

"I know I'm beautiful, Hiwatari, but it's really rude to stare," she drawled, pretending to examine her nails.

"Staring? Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't care," he replied coolly. "I was just wondering how it's possible that society doesn't try to shoot something as ugly as you. Face it, Mizuhara, you scare small children."

She pretended to smile, as though it was merely a joke. "And you scare everyone else, so I guess we're even." She grinned up at Ray, who was rolling his eyes and shaking his head at the two of them, and flashed him a thumbs-up sign. "Great party, Ray-man, but the only problem's the stoner moron over here. Now, if you excuse me, I have a few people to see."

She bowed in a mocking and over-done manner and marched off to sit next to Haley and Jennifer, who had stopped playing with the sunscreen and were just lying about now. Haley flashed an amused smirk up at her. "Yo, Chayster. Pull up some sand and hang for a while."

"And don't get said sand on the blanket, because it'll stick to us," Jennifer added, shifting so that she could lie down on her front. Inwardly, Chaya felt envy bubble up at the sight of Jennifer's perfectly thin form. She probably could have gotten away with one of those thin little two-pieces, but was too modest to actually wear one.

"So what's Hiwatari doing this time?" Haley asked conversationally. "Besides being an asshole?"

"Hm, breathing?" Chaya suggested.

The bluenette pretended to consider this. "Okay, I see where that would be a slight problem."

Chaya watched out of the corner of her eye as Ivanov leaned up and murmured something in Hiwatari's ear, causing the two of them to laugh and Miyami and glare over at both of them. Ray looked at a loss. The two Juniors looked over at Chaya pointedly and she hurriedly turned her back on them, facing Haley and Jennifer. "Ever get the feeling you'r being discussed?"

"Nope, never," Haley replied. "Nor do I care."

"Yeah, well that's because you're too boring," a familiar voice said. Chaya could hear the grin before she saw the face and couldn't help laughing when Johnny practically slid onto their blanket. After a moment, he shook out his sopping wet hair, making the three girls groan and cry out, trying to get out of the way.

"Johnny, you bastard!"

"I love you too, doll," the redhead grinned, making a clicking sound with his tongue. "Here, let me whow you by giving you a hug…"

"McGregor, don't you dar – auugh!" Chaya yelled laughingly as the redhead wrestled her into a hug, proceeding to drench through her bathing suit. "Oh, you're so dead!"

"Yeah, but I'd have died happy…"

Chaya pushed her hand in his face, shoving him out of her way. "Go flirt with someone that'll actually return the favour."

"'Kay," the bouncy sophomore chirped. He draped himself past Chaya, getting her wet a second time and fluttered his eyelashes at Jennifer. "Sooooo, Jen. You over Haley yet? Wanna go out some time?"

Jennifer stared at Johnny, mouth agape, and then after moment shook her head, smiling at his antics. Haley let out a noise of derision and reach over, smacking him upside the head.

"Chaya said people that'll actually return the favour, you brainless twit. Not people that are already in a relationship," she raised her hand to hit him again. "What are you, that desperate?"

"Of course he's that desperate," Chaya yawned, lying back on the towel, letting one arm hang over her eyes. "He goes through so many girls a week. I bet he does it because not well enough endowed, if you know what I mean…"

There was a tense silence on the small blanket, and after a moment Chaya lifted her arm a fraction of the way up, squinting with one eye over at her friends. Jennifer's face had gone red and she was biting her lips to keep from laughing, while Haley began to make strange snorting noises. After a moment, Chaya finally realized just what she had said and wrenched her eyes towards Johnny. The teen was turning red to the roots of his hair and after a pause sent her a glare that matched Hiwatari's. Carefully, Chaya moved into a sitting position, inching away as she slowly got to her feet.

He seemed to realize exactly what she was trying to do, because he leaped at her, trying to bowl her over and ended up missing so completely that he got a mouthful of sand.

"Shit!" she yelled, skidding off of the sandy blanket, and somehow scrambling to her feet. Other teenagers looked on in amusement as Johnny spat the sand out of his mouth and tore after her, chasing her across the sand. The two of them dodged couples walking and leapt over beach towel, their occupants crying out as the two of them kicked up sand in their faces and drinks, but at the moment, Chaya didn't care. She just didn't want to die, really.

Panting and laughing, she led him on for a good five or six minutes, immensely grateful for her soccer training, but unfortunately, she made the mistake of wandering back near where she and her friends had been sitting earlier. One well-placed foot sent her tripping, slowing her down from her previous running. She didn't even have a chance to send Hiwatari a glare before Johnny had caught up with her and grabbed her.

"Heh heh…you don't want to kill me, do ya Johnny?" she squeaked nervously, trying to pull herself out of his grasp but not succeeding. The glare on his face said other things, but when seconds later it turned into a sneaky smirk, she felt herself becoming a little panicky. "Uh…Johnny?"

"You're absolutely right, I don't," he said pleasantly, moving his arms. "But I do want to do this – "

Before she could react, Johnny had thrown her over his shoulder, which partially impressed Chaya considering she wasn't the lightest person in the world, and slowly began to march towards the water. Chaya glanced between his arm and chest from her upside-down position and it occurred to her what he was planning.

"Oh no – hey, let go you prick!" she shouted, hammering on his bare back as hard as she could, trying to get him to put her down. It wasn't working, considering she seemed to be getting closer and closer to the water. She could hear the sound of the water slapping against the sand and twisted around, wincing. The blood was rushing to her head in this position and she was short of breath. "NO! Come on, Johnny, I don't want to go in there, it's cold! Please? I'm, er, sorry! Yeah, I'm sorry!"

"That's your problem, isn't ot?" Johnny's voice was gruff, but had regained it's joking and unserious tone. In fact, you could easily hear the satisfaction increase at the same rate that her panic grew.

She began to beat on Johnny's back with renewed vigour, kicking her legs as well, hoping to get some measure of freedom. Was it just her, or did it get colder the closer they got to the lake?

A lot of teenagers, as well as the hired members were laughing and pointing at her in amusement. She heard a few derisive comments from her left and sent a glare over towards Hiwatari, who waved cheerfully back at her. It was his fault that she was in this predicament. If he hadn't tripped her, she'd have been home free and nowhere near the water. Even Flash had looked up from his manga to see what was going on; near him, Haley was taking bets about who would be the one to come out of this situation alive.

"Johnny McGregor, it you don't put me down, I swear I'll – "

"Down?" the redhead said innocently, reaching over with one hand and pinching her derriere. She swore at him, whipping out and smacking him hard against the ear with her wrist. He cursed and then grunted, "Okay, I'll put you down…"

"NO! JOHNNY, NO! NOT THERE! ON THE SAND – " She felt his grip loosening. "No, come on! I don't want to be put down! Up! Up, don't drop me in the –!"

_Splash! _

She was entirely enveloped by cold, flailing her arms as her bum hit the sandy bottom of the lake. Rocks poked at her as she spluttered and pulled herself above the surf. Spitting out the water that had entered her mouth, Chaya straightened up, her bangs hanging in wet ranks over her eyes. There was laughter all around her and with an annoyed look, she cleared her hair out of her eyes and glared up at Johnny.

The boy was grinning widely at her, looking more pleased with himself than Chaya had seen him look in the few weeks that she had known him.

"You're g-gonna p-p-pay for that," she threatened, her lips trembling as she jumped out of the freezing water. Johnny looked shot for a moment and tried to run, but Chaya leaped and pinned him before he could, downing him in less time than he had pushed her.

"Worth it!" he sputtered as she dunked his head under a few more times and tried to land a few blows on him.

"You're gonna get something worth it in a few seconds!" she yelled furiously, grabbing him by the hair and dunking him under once more before pushing him roughly away. Then, trying to summon whatever dignity she had, she stood and walked back towards the beach, pulling her bandana off of her wet hair and shaking it out.

"Hey, we get dinner and a show," Miyami grinned as Chaya shlumped back to the blankets, taking a big lick of the peanut-butter sundae she had probably gotten from one of the tables near the sound stage. She and Ray were looking up at Chaya with wide smiles on their faces.

"Shut up, Kinomiya," she snarled, peeling off her wet jeans and grabbing the first towel she lay her eyes on, regardless of whether it was hers or not. "Just shut up."

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>0

Another updated version, another day.

Ciao

Kuriness


	9. Sand Crab

**_Drowning In The Clouds_**

_Author_: KuriQuinn

_Title_: Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom_: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all.

_Rating_: R for language, mature themes and possible violence in later chapters

_Pairing_: Figure it out.

_Takes-Place_: Alternate Universe

_Summary_: Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

_Thanks To: _SkyBluSunShine, Lobo-Chan, Laulella, evilive,Mezurashii, hiwitari-gurl, thedigimonbabe, Mystera Greenleaf, Iz, Trunks' Brat Baby, nObOdY, Lucky Gurl

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**Chapter Eight: Sand Crab **

"So then he was all like 'no way', and I was, like, 'way' and he just couldn't, like, believe it because, you know, it's so weird for me to do something like that, you know? But it was, like, his fault in the first place because he, like, totally lied about taking me to a fancy restaurant. I mean, who invites someone out for a date if they have no money? Like, he was actually expecting me to pay for myself!" Mariah chatted loudly, recounting to Chaya and anyone else who would sit still long enough one of her many ex-boyfriend stories from long ago. Chaya squinted at the pink-haired Chinese girl, her mouth open and gaping in such a way that it was almost in danger of attracting flies.

"Mariah, that is _fascinating_," she drawled, sarcasm dripping so thickly from her tone she was sure that if it had been tangible it would have been like mortar. Near her, Ray laughed out loud at her words and she grinned up at him from her towel, where she was still drying off from her brief sojourn in the lake. Mariah didn't seem to understand Chaya's obvious boredom and laughed along with them nervously, as though it was a joke, obviously thinking she had been witty.

"I know," the girl chortled as she continued, "and then of course there was Jason, who…"

Chaya tuned out again, looking over at Tyson incredulously. The Japanese boy had come to hang out with her and Miyami earlier when Max had ditched him to go swimming – both Chaya and Tyson seemed to agree that the water was too cold to go near due to its lack of electric heater – but now he looked as though he seriously regretted his decision. There was a look of such consternation on his face that Chaya was sure he was debating whether or not to throttle to pink-haired princess. Privately, she agreed and wondered briefly if escaping to the cold water wasn't the more intelligent plan after all.

Jealously, she looked down towards the water where Miyami had escaped to with Johnny moments before Mariah had happened upon them. The two of them were laughing and splashing water at each other, doing a good imitation of Chaya's dunking attempts to Johnny not even an hour before.

"So, how are you guys finding the party?" Ray asked conversationally, reaching into a cooler near him and pulling out a bottle of beer. Chaya wondered if his parents actually let him drink usually or were just letting him because it was his party. Not that it would have mattered considering how many teens around them were almost trying to drink themselves to death.

"Too bright."

Ray and Chaya exchanged confused glances, before directing the same glances at Tyson, who was squinting upwards. After a beat he seemed to realize that he was being stared at and flashed them both a laid-back grin. "Out here. It's too bright out here. Anyone got a dimmer for the sun?"

"Sorry, Tyson. Those were all sold out at the Planetary Upkeep Shop. But they did have a discount going on greenhouse gasses," Chaya smirked. Ray laughed and Tyson just stared at her.

"Do you have any idea how weird you are?"

"Sure. But it's only a roundabout figure, I haven't actually tallied it up yet…"

The Japanese boy snorted. "Max's right. You do have too much time on your hands…"

"Back to your earlier question," Chaya rolled her eyes, physically turning so that she was looking at Ray. "I'm having a great time – except for the part where I got dropped in a fecking cold lake."

The Chinese boy snickered. "That was pretty funny. Even you've got to admit it."

"When pig's fly."

"Actually, they're doing experiments now to see if that's possible," Tyson piped up, earning more confused stares, although Mariah squealed, "Really!"

"Yeah, and they're also trying to bring Elvis back from the dead. I hear they've got a team of necrophiliacs working on that as we speak," Chaya deadpanned, her voice a tone above disgust as Mariah's eyes widened in amazement. Then she rolled her eyes, forcing herself not to ask Ray how he put up with the bubble-head. Who he dated was his own business…but how could he date someone so…_stupid_?

The band started up another number, a fast-paced song that was mostly the drummer beating the crap out of his drums as the singer screamed into the microphone. Absently, Chaya thought that they needed a new vocalist. She knew that their band's style was to have loud headbangingshit, but ever other sound was so discordant she wondered why they were even attempting a song at this level.

She was interrupted as a cloud of sand smacked up in front of her face. Choking, it took her a spell before she realized that the cause of the sand cloud was a grey, worn out looking volleyball. There was a game going on down near the water that she had forgotten about, even though she had been watching it slightly out of the corner of her eye earlier. A tall brown haired senior jogged up to get the ball back, grinning at her as he ran back to the game.

"Best sport ever," Chaya remarked jovially, turning back to her close-knit group.

"Bleh, not for me," Tyson practically spat. "I got no patience for that sort of thing. I like sports that don't need effort. Like golf! It's great. You don't have to do anything but try to hit a ball into a hole!"

"Golf isn't worth being a sport," Chaya grumbled. "And volleyball isn't hard. All you have to do is keep your eye on the ball. It's not like it's going to bite."

Tyson's face took on a worried quality. "It's not so much biting I'm worried about as the bone-shattering impact."

"What impact! You can always watch where the ball's going!"

"Maybe you can, but no matter what, when we play in gym class, it always hits me!"

"That's because Miyami constantly serves it deliberately low so it'll hit you, Tyson," Ray teased. "She told me so just the other day." He glanced at Chaya over Tyson's head as the other boy pouted, at the same time pulling Mariah over and putting his arm around her. Chaya tried not to be sick at the sappy-giggle Mariah let out.

For a time the four of them watched the game below them as the ball hit the sand on more than one occasion because of a missed serve or fumble. Chaya winced in sympathy as one of the girls went to volley the ball and it ended up rolling back over the tips of her fingers, nearly hitting her in the face. She hated when that happened, it was aggravating… "Man, these guys are amateurs. I haven't seen one decent rally since they started playing…"

"And I supposed you could do better?" Ray questioned.

"Oh hell, yeah. I've been playing volleyball since I was old enough to know the meaning of 'spike' –" she noticed the confused looks and decided to elaborate. "Since I was about six."

"Sounds like someone's bragging."

Chaya froze at the ferociously dry voice, mimicking the way she had addressed Mariah moments earlier. Her smile leaving her face she turned her head so that it was at an uncomfortable angle and fixed the owner of the voice with an unimpressed stare. "I don't recall asking your opinion, Hiwatari."

"I don't recall caring. You were talking like you wanted someone to hear you," he had slowly stood up and was brushing the sand off of his arms. "You think you're some kind of expert or something?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Got a problem with that?"

The brunette, Hilary, had come back from wherever she had disappeared to and was clutching onto Hiwatari's arm, her skimpy bathing suit causing Chaya to want to block her eyes lest the girl make a move that showed off more than Chaya wanted to see right then.

He shrugged simply, the usual frown etched into his features. "I was just wondering how well your expert playing would measure up to mine."

She staggered to her feet, trying to give off an imposing air despite her diminutive height. Sceptically, she asked, "You play volleyball? You look more like the type to do boxing or some other sport where you get knocked in the head a lot."

"I've dabbled in it, yes," the slate-haired teenager's face implied that 'to dabble' meant 'to excel in'. Chaya felt a slight note of apprehension, but ignored it. "You see, my grandfather does have the tendency to rub shoulders with all the right people. I spend a lot of time with the national team. They've taught me quite a few good moves."

"Now who's bragging?" she challenged. "And here I thought you were incapable of anything…"

"Is that a challenge?"

"It's whatever you want it to be."

"And what if I accept?"

"If you think I'm going to run away, you've got another thing coming to you."

In the short time that the two teenagers had begun to exchange insults, a small crowd had formed around them. Even the volleyball players had paused their game to glance over at Chaya and Hiwatari. Chaya thought in amusement that if their arguing was this interesting to other people, Bethany really was as dull as she had originally thought. Honestly, didn't these people have televisions or something? Or was it just that the mutual hatred between the two of them was so well-known.

Either way, it was really pathetic…

Hiwatari shook Hilary off of him; she pouted grotesquely but he ignored her, his full attention on Chaya. He was watching her almost curiously, taking in all of her attributes. Chaya had a feeling he was only really seeing her as a potential threat for the first time, something she had mixed feelings about. His face suddenly split into a slightly disconcerting smirk. "I call serve."

(-)

The sand was cleared for a good twenty foot radius around the two teenagers. Chaya defiantly stared back at Hiwatari who seemed to be trying to psyche her out before the game even began. They were separated only by a net, and she imagined that they both looked like they'd rather eat sand than give into the other one – which is what they were probably going to end up doing anyhow. Hiwatari held the ball tightly in his hands, once in a while deciding to throw it up in the air and catch, just to show off.

Chaya looked expectantly towards Ray. Neither she nor Hiwatari had been able to agree on the rules of the game, or the referee. They had ended up choosing Ray, who was sure not to play favourites with either. She saw that he was glancing at her almost doubtfully and after a quick look around she noticed that this seemed to be the general consensus. Everyone seemed to be expecting her to screw up and fall in the dust.

'Yeah, right. And then the sky turned purple,' she thought grimly, a stubborn spark settling in her. They really thought she was going to lose? 'I'll show them! Even if I do lose, I won't be going down without a fight.'

Hiwatari tossed the ball up in the air again and before she could stop herself, she snapped,"You going to play with the ball all day, pretty-boy, or are you eventually going to serve?"

He didn't reply, his eyes fixed on Ray, who had gone to stand to the right of the net. After a moment where the Chinese boy tested out where he could see the game the best, he nodded. Putting two fingers to his lips, he blew, sounding one loud, sharp note that had almost everyone around them quiet down. It was so silent for a group of teenagers that Chaya almost felt uneasy. Almost as though now that there was so much silence, she could practically feel all the eyes on her.

'Oh shit, what did I get myself into this time?'

"Game on," the junior's voice sounded in front of her and she watched almost in slow motion as he threw the ball up into the air and as it passed back downwards, he batted it towards her in a swift overhand serve. She hurried to move, having not expected him to start so quickly and tried to bump it back to him – but she missed. The ball hit the send with a depressed thump and rolled over once, before staying still.

"Since you were six, huh?" Hiwatari was looking at her, boredom evident in his features. "Right."

Something exploded and burned all the way up her throat as she reached down to grab the ball. Her face burned, both from embarrassment and from the heat. "Don't get cocky, jackass." She threw the ball back at him with such force that when he caught it he had to step back for a moment.

He didn't even wait for Ray to 'okay' the next move before he served again, this time in such a way that the ball sail so cleanly over the net that it almost touched. Chaya, having been in her ready position, sprang forward, dipped low and whacked it back to him so hard that she felt her knuckles jar together painfully. Trying not to show the pain on her face, she looked back just in time to watch the ball hit him square in the face. Again, he took a step backwards, and the ball fell to the sand.

The crowd heaved in a collective gasp of breath, although Chaya saw Tyson and Johnny giving each other high-fives. Hillary hurried out onto the court, crying out about something to do with legalities and tried to pull Hiwatari up and brush him off. He pushed her away roughly and stood up, an ugly red mark where the ball had hit him appearing on his previously unblemished skin. Chaya made a note of the fact that the ball had almost hit his nose – it might have broken it if she had tried.

'Damn.'

She half expected him to leap up and attack her the way he was looking at her right now. But he merely smiled in a way that seemed more like a grimace of anger, the muscles in his face stretching in to the unfamiliar gesture.

"Of course you realize this means war."

Mimicking Hiwatari's movements from earlier, she served overhand, aiming slightly above the net. This time he bumped it back and a rally ensued. After that, the game didn't have another slow moment. There was no pause, no time for a break. The two of them hardly even listened to Ray's rules unless it had to do with him declaring the score. The pace was fast and brutal, almost as though they were in a race to beat the other one. Moves that most of the teens gathered had never seen used in the games they had watched before were thrown out left, right and centre. Hiwatari saved himself a point by countering one of her volley's with a head-butt.

She couldn't remember ever spiking so many times in a game and actually having to worry about him managing to get under the ball and send it back at her before she could get into place. Sweat and sand blurred her vision, the heat parching her throat and making every breath seem like she was inhaling dust. She wondered at the back of her mind if she really would need her pump, but wasn't willing to back down long enough to ask for it.

Hit, miss, volley, spike, bump, back and forth – the ball didn't touch the ground sometimes for almost five minutes at a time. Hiwatari was obviously getting as frustrated with the game as she was because once in a while he would slam the ball towards her, the intent to hit her plain in his eyes. Of these few times, there was only once she managed to actually hit the ball back at him; all of the other instances she ducked, just hoping the hurtle ball wouldn't hit her.

'I'm suddenly reminded of Tyson's 'bone-shattering-impact' comment…'

He grunted, his voice lower and rougher from the heat and lack of air, viciously sending the ball hurtling towards her with a low-flying bump. "I'm not going to be beaten by some freshman."

She grinned at him as she stumbled backwards, bending to bump it back to him, equally low. "With your aim you'll never land a blow on one either.'

This only incensed him further, it seemed.

It seemed to go on forever. The crowd around them were cheering both of them on in turn. The people that had been looking at Chaya with pity not half-an-hour earlier were watching her in awe now and she felt a slight note of pride that she had managed to hang in as far as she did. There was no lie; Hiwatari was tough. He was strong in his serves, which she lacked somewhat and whenever he had the serve he'd take a hit of points because she couldn't manage to match them. But what she lacked in strength, he lacked in accuracy and agility. When they rallied, he seemed to have a hard time moving about in time to get to the ball while she moved in every manner she could to get to it.

The next time she looked up she was shocked to see Ray holding up a make-shift sign someone had made with one of the band's advertising flyers; twenty-three to twenty-three. Hiwatari noticed this too and was glaring over at her angrily and somewhat curiously, as though he couldn't understand what was going on. She could practically hear his train of thought: how the hell is this bitch keeping up?

'Good-question. As soon as I can breathe again I'll make a mental note to ask my body…'

She served. He volleyed. Taking the opening, she jumped upward to spike it but felt overwhelming anger when it rolled over her fingers and fell back over her, hitting her on the head on the way down. There were bursts of laughter all around, a smirk from Hiwatari and a low curse in her mind as she bent to retrieve the ball and pass it to him. Her face felt so hot, and not from the heat, but from the movement. Her heart was racing in her ears, in her wrists, in her chest, in her fingers – they tingled as she watched the ball heading to the ground and she dove downwards, hitting the sand with a dull thud and a cloud of sand, bumping it back over the net. She scrambled to her feet, her chest hurting, waiting for him to send it back to her but watching happily as he missed it.

Twenty-four to twenty-four.

Another serve – re-serve. She had to do it again. She tried over hand this time.

He volleyed it. She bumped it back. A long, determined rally began. She could feel the need to win driving her. It was so close. The score. No one could say that she had been outdone. She had given her all. But if she could win…!

He jumped up, rising in the air, pulling back one hand and spiking it over. Hurriedly she jumped up to meet the hit, intercepting and pushing it back at Hiwatari just as he was falling back down to the grownd. A growl of determination escaped his throat and he stretched out to volley it back. It was flying upwards and she hit the ground. It was so far above her and coming down she fast. She didn't have enough room to bump or enough time to volley it.

She was going to lose.

It was coming. Down, down, down…

She didn't even register moving, or feel her knees bending as she jumped upwards to meet the ball. All she felt was the slight thump as the ball bounced off of her chest and over the net. Hiwatari had expected his volley to win. He wasn't ready for the ball. He tried to smack it back towards her but missed.

Before everyone's stunned eyes, the ball fell a few feet in back of him, the dust rising in a lazy cloud where it stopped moving, the sound of it's landing heard by all.

Chaya fell back on the ground, breathing hard. She tried to wipe the sweat and dirt from her face, succeeding only in getting more of it on her than off, and felt her head swivel around towards Ray. Her look implored him to call the game. She felt her chest heaving from exhaustion and when she looked over at Hiwatari, his face showed the same strain. Ray was talking something over with Ivanov and Miyami, who were arguing amongst themselves about whether her last move qualified as a legal hit.

'It had to be…I mean…anything hit above the waist and including the waist…that's legal…as far as I know…what if we weren't playing by the official rules? I mean, we could have been, it's not as though we actually sat down to discus whether – '

Ray nodded, looking grave and held up his hands for everyone to see.

She felt her chest freeze and breath stop as he called the two of them over to him. She felt herself limping, all of her excess energy spent. She and Hiwatari were facing each other but at the same time, not looking at each other. They were both waiting for Ray. Ray needed to call the game so that they could know. She hadn't like his grave look before, that could have meant anything.

Abruptly, he reached down and grabbed Chaya's hand, yanking it high up into the air. "Your champion!"

To her utter surprise, there was an explosion of cheering from the crowd. Behind her Miyami was jumping up and down, thumping her on the back. She could see Haley collecting money from disgruntled looking kids a few meters back and there were hoots and cat-calls. She couldn't understand a word they were saying, she was too busy feeling stunned. All of these people were cheering for her? But most of them had been against her in the beginning! Hillary was screeching loudly at her, seeming to be calling her a cheater or something and Hiwatari was rolling his eyes and telling her to shut the hell up.

"Don't tell me you're a sore loser now," she couldn't help the jibe, relishing in the evil glare he sent her.

"Don't think this is over, kid. You just made a very big mistake."

He had turned and walked away; a tense and lone figure as the crowd practically opened for him to walk away. Hillary tried to follow him but stopped when he practically threatened her life if she came anywhere near him.

"Three cheers for the biggest ego in the world!" Johnny yelled and Chaya found, to her horror, that he and a few other guys were suddenly lifting her up onto their shoulders and carrying her about. She shrieked, partially in laughter, partially because she thought she was going to fall, and griped Johnny tightly by the shoulder.

"Hey! I don't have a big ego – that's Hiwatari! And besides, it wa – watch that hand if you wanna keep it, buddy – it was a lucky shot. He was really good. I thought I was going to lose."

"Stop being so modest," her twin's voice said from somewhere in the throngs of people. "We all know you're not."

She laughed out loud, replying just as brazenly, and began trying to get down. She found, after but a moment's trial, that she couldn't. The guys that were hoisting her above them were holding onto her tightly, as though to keep her trapped. She looked around in confusion, trying to figure out what was going on and then felt her gaze rest upon the destination. The lake gleamed back at her, almost mischieviously as she began to move closer.

"Oh no, not again! Guys! Come on…! Guys?"

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Took out the song. It was "Still Waiting" by Sum 41. Play it while reading this chapter if you want. If not…well, you don't have to.

Ciaoza,

Kuriness


	10. Short Drop, Sudden Stop

**_Drowning In The Clouds_**

_Author_: KuriQuinn

_Title_: Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom_: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all.

_Rating_: R for language, mature themes and possible violence in later chapters

_Pairing_: Figure it out.

_Takes-Place_: Alternate Universe

_Summary_: Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

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**Chapter Nine: Short Drop, Sudden Stop**

The sky was strangely dark for nine-o'clock at night, considering it was early September, but it was a calm dark. Tinges of pink washed along the horizon and the lake lapped quietly against the sand. Practically all of the swimmers had come in, save for a few teens that were still knee-deep in the water, playing some kind of game of tag. Up on the sand, Chaya laughed hysterically as the group tried to sing karaoke with Johnny's old acoustic guitar. It was amusing because they were attempting fast-paced punk rocker songs and kept screwing up both the rhythm and the notes (due to Johnny being a lot drunker than he should have been).

A few campfires had been lit throughout the beach, but not in the little circle where Chaya was sitting with Flash, Johnny, Ray, Mariah and her older brother Lee. They had opted to just don their light sweaters as it became cooler instead of starting an environmental hazard, as Lee had put it. Chaya wasn't sure what to make of Mariah's older brother. According to Ray, he and Lee were practically brothers, they had known each other so long, but how then, had Mariah turned into such a female fop?

Chaya had not yet gone to change out of her bathing suit, mostly for the fact that she was sure Johnny would try to throw her in the water again. It seemed that this was the most alluring mode of entertainment that day, considering it hadn't only been Johnny who had tried to toss her in the water earlier. The two unknown teenagers that had attempted it had not come out victorious, considering Chaya had believed they were attacking her and gone into full defensive mode. 'I wonder of they can straighten up yet…?'

A lot of parents or older sibling or even friends had already come to pick up most of the freshman and sophomore guests, but Chaya and her friends had opted to stay late with Ray. Max and Tyson had decided to lead a jaunty walk around the lake, which Miyami, Iris and a few others had gladly joined, wanting to fool around with their friends as much as they could before the night was over. Which it would be soon, considering it was a school night.

Chaya, who had decided to sit with Ray and the present company, was surprised that her father hadn't called them yet to tell them he was coming to pick them up – and then realized belatedly that she had given Max the cell-phone earlier and wouldn't know if her father called anyhow.

"Here," she felt a bottle of something being pressed into her hands and Mariah's giggling and went to take a sip. She hadn't even let the liquid touch her lips when she choked on the fumes of the beer and coughed, passing it on. If there was one thing she couldn't stand, it was the scent of beer. Wine at least had a more refined scent, but beer always made her want to hurl. 'Guess I'm just wired that way.'

"Want a cigarette?" Lee asked, handing over a fag that was already half-way finished; he balanced it expertly between his finger tips.

"No thanks. I'm a big fan of lungs," Chaya replied easily, leaning away from the wafting smoke and trying not to choke at the burning sensation in her throat.

"You not having anything?" Lee raised his eyebrow at her. The larger Chinese boy was a Senior and was sending her a calculating look. "You a prude or something?"

"No, I just don't like alcohol. Got a problem with that?"

Mariah was giggling loudly again, and Chaya wrinkled her nose at how drunk the pink haired girl had become. Lee seemed to sense her gaze and then grinned at her, as though he understood her logic. After all, who would actually want to look like such an idiot?

It occurred to Chaya suddenly just how much booze and drugs were floating around at this party. Hadn't Miyami said this party was being thrown by Ray's parents? Either they were extremely lenient people, or they weren't around. She was more sure of the latter option. "Hey Ray, where are your parents, anyway? I saw them around here earlier, but –"

"They left an hour or two ago because they had to bring my sister home," Ray shrugged. "They like her going to bed earlier. They said they'd be back for me around eleven, but I know for a fact they'll probably end up here much later. It always seems to take my parents forever when it comes to me. I think they like giving me freedom."

"Do you know when my brother and the rest should be back? How longdoes it usually take to go around this entire lake?"

"Way too long," Johnny grinned goofily, strumming the strings of his guitar rather loudly in an effort to be noticed. "They'll probably end up turning back in a while and show up here soon enough. So chillax."

"Well, I can't. We have to leave soon."

"Why?" Ray was beaming foolishly and she noticed how oddly bright his eyes were. Just how much booze had Ray sampled that day?

"Well, we've got school tomorrow, remember? And I don't know about you, but I have a math test first period that I haven't studied for and kind of need to pass."

"And…?"

"Ray, come on, I'm serious," she said, beginning to get a little irritated. "I need to change, find my brother and call my dad. Where can I get changed out of this wet stuff?"

Ray's face cleared and began to sober up a little bit. He cleared his throat and looked behind, her squinting at something, before pointing. "There's a few of those outdoor bathroom things a little ways down the beach. You can change there."

"What?" Chaya made a face. "But those things are disgusting! And they smell, and are cramped and –"

"Look, it's either you get your stuff off in there, or out here," Ray shrugged. "The place isn't exactly teen-friendly when it comes to that. Besides, I don't think you want to walk for hours just to get to the golf course way, way down that way." He pointed into the distance. "Besides, they're closed now."

"I could always hold your towel for you while you get dressed," Johnny offered, grinning lecherously.

Chaya exchanged glances with Ray and then reached for her stuff, almost in a hurry. Johnny looked extremely put out, and sulked, grabbing a handful of chips from a nearby bag.

The outdoor bathrooms, also known as Porta-Potty's, were located past the lifeguard tower as well as the loitering spot were the older teens had spent their day. She could see a group of girls crowding around the band, all of them trying to get in on the action. She could hear a particularly screechy-voiced girl demanding if they needed any back-up singers and almost had to laugh.

She thought she saw Hiwatari's Asshole Patrol hanging around in the shadows, smoking up and getting drunk off their butts, but in the lack of light and the shadows the campfires elicited on people's face, she couldn't be sure. Almost everyone looked the same.

The portable bathrooms stank even yards away and Chaya gagged, very much wanting to chance the walk around the lake but knowing it would take way too long. A few people were going in and out of the bathrooms, obviously with the same ideas that she had. One girl emerged, trying to pull her bag, which had some how gotten stuck in the door and ended up ripping it so that all of her wet clothes and towel fell out onto the sand.

'Just great,' Chaya groaned, searching amongst the half-a-dozen rectangular objects and finally finding an empty one that didn't stink as badly as the others.

Locking the door behind her, she tried to maneuver around the small space, breathing through her mouth. This was definitely going to be one of the day's lows. Even being dunked in the freezing water was more of a blast than this.

Pulling off her wet suit and shorts, she let them fall to the ground and began to rummage around in her bag for her dry clothes. 'The day was actually not that bad, considering I had to spend one more day of my life with people I can't stand from school. And of course, Hiwatari…'

She let a grin spread across her face as she thought about it. After the volleyball game, Hiwatari had skulked off to be alone, probably to pout or something stupid and whiny-rich-boyish. When she did see him later on he had always refused to look her in the eyes and she was aware of the note of pride at that. It had been only a mindless, worthless game but she felt like she had proved to anyone that wanted to question it that she could handle herself.

Then again, who cared what those other mindless drabble of teenaged hormones though? The womanizing junior had learned not to take her lightly; that was the important thing.

She was annoyed as she shoved her things around, trying to keep her wet, soggy towel around her at the same time; her dry clothes weren't in her bag. Why the hell weren't they in her bag? Was she just not seeing them because it was so dark in this box?

'Box…'

She shuddered, trying not to think about how small and enclosed this space was, with its suffocating air as she fruitlessly searched her bag again, hoping against hope…

She suddenly remembered something from that morning. She hadn't been able to fit anymore stuff into her small bag and had asked Max to put her sweater and jeans in his bag…'Damn it, I grabbed the wrong bag!'

She didn't want to have to go all the way back, but it seemed she had no choice. Just as she was gathering her wet suit up to put it back on, she heard a commotion just outside of the door. Raucous laughter that was coming closer and closer. She couldn't see what she was doing or struggling with and swore when she felt a stab of pain in her heel. She had stepped on a piece of wood or something and felt something like a splinter stick into her foot.

"Damn it!"

"Hey, you were right, Hillary, the little freak is in there," she heard a malicious voice say and identified it right away as Ivanov. She had a nasty feeling that they were talking about her…

There was a pounding on the door and she could do nothing but clutch her towel to her body as the entire frame of the box shook and then a low, cold voice, "Hey Mizuhara, what's taking you so long. We want to talk to you."

Hiwatari's voice was laced with alcohol and she emitted a strangled groan from the back of her throat. She didn't want to have to deal with this right now.

"Go to hell, Hiwatari. And take your friends with you; I don't have the patience to deal with you right now."

The scent and the small enclosure were getting to her, and she pushed her stringy and still damp hair out of her eyes. She felt clammy and it was hard to breathe, but she forced herself to ignore it and focus on the idiots outside. There was a snide comment and more loud laughter.

"I don't think you're in any position to be telling me what to do, Mizuhara," the cold voice said. It was tinged with smugness and she felt sick. "In fact, I like this whole deal with you being exactly where I want you. Seeing as I don't think you're going anywhere, you can just listen to me for a minute."

"Bullshit," she snapped, grabbing her things. She'd prefer having Johnny hold the towel so that she could change to dealing with this idiot. Her bag in the hand that was holding up her towel, she reached for the little slat to open the door – just as there was a muffled thump and she felt the plastic door dent inwards.

Her heart leaping into her throat, she unlatched the lock and pushed against it, trying to open it. There was louder laughter and more scattered insults and she felt panic rising in her throat. Someone was blocking the door. She couldn't get out.

She was trapped.

"Let me out," she ordered, keeping her voice calm, and trying to feed her anxiety into her anger.

"Hm…you didn't say 'please'."

She growled and banged on the door, feeling her bag dropping onto her feet. The towel was heavy against her and her skin was beginning to feel clammy and painful. Her eyes flicked around, looking for a source of light in the small box, looking for another exit even though she knew there wasn't one.

After less than a minute, she was banging on the door again and trying to push the weight or body or whatever was keeping her trapped out of the way. "Come on, let me out!"

"Still waiting for that 'please', Mizuhara."

"Please!" she yelled, angered when she heard her voice in her ears. She was panicking. 'Stop, breathe. Just calm down. You'll get out, you'll be fine. Stop panicking…'

Hiwatari's voice was still low and taunting, making her heart freeze in her chest. "Well, look at that, sounds like you're begging over there. Never thought I'd see the day."

"Let me out, Hiwatari, I mean it! I already asked you nicely, if you don't let me out, so help me –"

"So help you what…you'll insult me some more?" he sniggered and the weight seemed to increase. Chaya was dizzy and felt everything she had eaten that day begin to churn in her stomach. She needed to get out, she needed to escape this small prison. She needed… "I think we'll just leave you there."

"Hey Kai, maybe we should tip that thing upside down," Ivanov's voice said from outside, malicious glee in his voice. "That'd be interesting."

The laughter was an explosion of sound and she clasped her hands over her ears for a moment, the echoes hurting her ears. 'Out. Out. Get me out of here. Someone get me out of here, please!'

"Nah, she seems traumatized enough to just be in there – you scared of the dark, Mizuhara?" she ordered herself not to answer, not to pay attention, just to ignore them they'd go away. The other juniors were laughing at Hiwatari's dry, scathing words. "Maybe this is a good time to ask you if you've changed your mind. You know, about trying to outdo me. It's not going to work. If you apologize now I'll pretend we never had to go through all of this."

The walls were closing in on her at the same speed that her heart began to speed up. Her breathing was labored and her fingers felt as though tiny, prickly spiders were crawling up through them, into and over her hands. Her chest hurt and tears burned her eyes. 'Just ignore him, he'll go away…'

"Hey! You in there? Don't tell me you're ignoring us!" Ivanov's voice was mocking. "We can stay here all night, kid. You really want to be in there all day?"

Her breath caught in her throat, and she could feel the long hours ahead of her. She needed to get out. Her mouth was dry, and her tongue seemed to be choking her. If she didn't know better, she would have thought she was having an asthma attack, but she knew the difference between asthma and claustrophobia.

"Let me out! Please! Let me out of here now!" she ordered, not able to hear their taunting replies over the pounding of her fists on the door, trying to get the body to move. The world was swirling around her and the floor felt like it was tilting. There was no way out, she needed to get out. Her face was wet and not because of her hair. Her eyes were streaming tears and she could hear the panic rising in her cries each time she threw herself at the door.

Her heel smarted, and her knuckles felt like they were bleeding from her pounding on the door. "Let me out! Please, let me out of here!"

Louder and louder was their laughter and the stench was stronger and the walls were moving in on her and she couldn't breathe, she needed to get out. And all of a sudden someone was screaming and the laughter outside had stopped and the door was opening and she was realizing that the screaming was her and that she had fallen out onto the sand, barely managing to keep the damp towel wrapped around her.

The laughter had stopped, but the jeering and insults hadn't. They laughed at her as she retched onto the sand, tears mixing with the bile in her stomach. Her shoulders heaved and she clutched at the towel; the only thing shielding her from the world right now.

She looked up through the darkness at the features that were illuminated in the camp-fire light. Ivanov was laughing, probably the only one doing so, and Hiwatari was looking down at her emotionlessly. She thought she heard him say something along the lines of, 'Look how pathetic you are.' But the words were masked and strange, the tone different from the mocking one before.

Hillary and her friends, Claire and the other annoying girls were laughing and pointing at her, hanging off of their boyfriends. The sand was cold and hard beneath her and she struggled to her feet, still sobbing quietly. The night was cool and the air cold, but her face felt as hot as if she had been leaning into a fire.

She felt arms around her shoulders and shrieked, not stopping until she heard Johnny's familiar tones, trying to calm her down. He was saying something to Hiwatari along the lines 'for un-useful carnal knowledge' and the guy was staring back, not at Johnny; he wasn't even acknowledging him. Something suddenly dawned on his features and he was looking at her. He was silently saying something to her that only she and Johnny seemed to hear, because suddenly Johnny was shouting at him, "Try to apologize to her and I'll beat you to death, you fucking asshole."

"Go ahead and try."

She was still dizzy, barely registering the catcalls that followed her as she stumbled off, being pulled off with Johnny. She was sick with herself, and felt her lips trembling. There was a flash of light, something like a camera and she felt Johnny suddenly leave her and there was a scuffle near her.

She was left alone again, with so many eyes staring at her and the memory of that awful, boxed in encasement. She didn't know what else to do but run. As fast as she could, towards the chalet at the end of the beach. There was a payphone there. She had left her cell phone in the bag back in the plastic prison and would rather eat sand than go and get it. She felt sick again and had to force herself not to throw up.

She needed to get home. Needed to be back with people who wouldn't ridicule her. The lake air, although free, was stifling. The laughter and taunts were still in her mind with the suffocating stench.

"Chaya! Are you okay? Let me help y – " she pushed past Ray and Max roughly, blindly running.

"I don't need anymore help," she heard herself saying, still running up the sand dune towards the parking lot. She would rather walk there than on the beach. She didn't want to be near the other kids.

The parking lot seemed deserted as she walked, but then she was hearing a voice calling for her. She tried to ignore it, concentrating on the sound of her feet hitting the pavement as she walked, hoping she wouldn't stop onto anything. "Chaya!"

"What?" she snarled, whirling around so fast that she nearly bumped into the car that was coming up behind her. Johnny was looking out at her from the window, his face worried. "What do you people want? Fucking autographs now? I mean, you got the pictures, you got to humiliate me and lock me into a fucking bathroom, what more do you fucking want!"

"I'm trying to help you, Chays, calm down," the redhead said, trying to be calm. "Dad let me drive here today – I can bring you home. It's faster than whatever you're planning on doing."

She began to walk away, coolly replying, "Go away."

He was still following her. "It's not a problem, Chaya, I mean it, I want you to – "

"NO! I can get home fine by myself. I'll go across the street and use the payphone."

"Well sorry, but I'm not going to allow you to get raped and murdered out here," he snapped, glaring at her as he tried to keep up and keep his eyes on the road at the same time.

"Excuse me, did I hear someone say 'allow'?" she retorted, spitting anger in her voice as she pulled the towel around her bare body even tighter than before. She was in danger of cutting off the circulation in her torso.

Johnny grunted. "I'll persuade you…strongly. Look, Mizuhara, things aren't as safe around here as you seem to think –"

"Yeah? Whatever happens here?" she spat. "The news does reports on frigging missing cats. I come from New York, McGregor, where people are shot next door and all you worry about is whether there will be blood on your newspaper or not. I seriously doubt there's anything more frightening than a garden gnome around here!"

Johnny pulled ahead and angled the car so that is cut her off, forcing her to stop. For a long moment the two teenagers regarded each other, before the redhead's face took on a determined and dangerous quality. "Get. In. The car."

She looked at him again, and then slowly, tentatively reached out for the front passenger side door, yanking it open and sitting down. She didn't face him but preferred to stare sullenly out of the window. It as a long moment before they spoke again. Johnny turned onto North Meridian Avenue and began back towards Bethany. Chaya was silent, counting down the seconds until she got home again.

"So…where do you live?" her impromptu driver asked, his voice softer than it had been before.

"Six-seven-oh-four Northwest Thirty-Eighth Street," she said, her voice quiet and small and very unlike her usual loud tones.

He nodded, his eyes looking thoughtfully at the road. The car rise was uncomfortably silent, except for a few strangled sounds coming from Chaya. She wished she could stop her desperate crying, but the sobs just wouldn't stop. It was like a flood that she just couldn't keep back.

"Hey," he began after a while of this, and she saw him in the reflection of her window, looking at her briefly before turning his eyes back to the road. "Don't cry, okay? Where's the spit-fire Chaya that doesn't give a shit about anything?"

"Drowning," she said darkly, tightening her grip on the towel. It occurred to her that she should put her seatbelt on. But then again, who a cared? It really didn't matter if the car crashed into anything. No one would care anyhow…

"Come on, kid, you've been through worse, I'm sure," the sophomore said, cajoling her. "I mean, if I were you – don't get me wrong, I'm glad I'm not. I wouldn't be able to survive PMS – I would have been crying in my room forever if Hiwatari strung my bra up on the flag pole."

Chaya snorted, continuing to stare into the window. "Didn't know you wore a bra." She could hear the grin in his voice, "Well, there's a lot you don't know about me." As he turned onto Northwest Thirty-Ninth Street she caught his eyes for a second. He was grinning at her in his usual flirtatious manner. She looked away from him almost immediately, her voice a mere whisper, "Sorry, Johnny, I'm not into you like that."

"Ditto that, Chaya-and-you-have-no-chance-with-me," was his cheerful reply. "Because you're too cute to be my type."

She had no idea what he meant by that, but was in no mood to ask him. The streetlight flashed by, and suddenly he said, "By the way, you tell anyone we had this conversation and I'll bite you. Don't want my fabulous fan club thinking they can get away with blowing me off. Only you can do that, 'kay?" She shrugged, pretending not to care. "So. Are you going to get back at Hiwatari?"

"What's the point?" she replied lowly, wanting nothing more than to go to sleep and not have to wake up the next morning. She was going to be in for it, that was for certain.

If her parents didn't kill her first.

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>0 

There we go! A much better version, if I do say so myself! Enjoy. Fic says: Review me!

Love,

KuriQ


	11. Pennyhead the Third

**_Drowning In The Clouds_**

_Author_: KuriQuinn

_Title_: Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom_: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all.

_Rating_: R for language, mature themes and possible violence in later chapters

_Pairing_: Figure it out.

_Takes-Place_: Alternate Universe

_Summary_: Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

_Note: _Bethany is a real place, but for the sake of my fic I combined both Bethany Middle School and Bethany High School. Anyone that lives in Bethany…gomen if I screwed up my portrayal of life in Bethany…

* * *

>0

**Chapter Ten: Pennyhead the Third**

By the next day, the entire school had either seen or heard from their friends what had transpired at Ray's birthday bash. The photo that had been snapped of her being led to safety by Johnny had been mysteriously pinned up on the school bulletin board, although vice principal Clarkson had torn it down the minute she saw it – an hour later. Chaya wasn't sure whether she should be grateful or mortified that the woman was doing her some type of favour. She was more inclined to think Clarkson didn't wan her rules being flaunted or that some prospective student's parents saw that kind of garbage on their boards.

Neither of her parents had been around the night before. Judy had gone to bed some hours before and Chaya's father had been watching television in the study, awaiting hers and Max's call. She had snuck into the house and immediately gone to shower and change for bed. When she came out she heard her father leaving; obviously Maxie had called from the beach to be picked up. She had gone to bed, trying to forget what had occurred in just a few hours time, only to be reminded of it in the morning when her father wanted to know where she had been and how she'd gotten home and why had she left the lake without Max?

A few lies had been all it took to smooth things over; Max, after all, had only heard the rumours of what had happened and not pursued the matter further. He obviously wanted Chaya to tell him first hand what had happened and then go on a warpath, but she kept it from him and he was forced to hear the story second hand.

At school, the stories and gossip were flying; Hillary had never been as popular as she gave a first hand account about how her wonderful boyfriend had finally put that blond, bratty freshman in her place. "I wouldn't be surprised if she leaves town after all this. I would if I were her."

And it did seem to everyone that she had given up. She looked downcast when she was passed in the hallways by friends or enemies, and her face was a perpetual stained red whenever anyone looked at her directly. Her friends all tried to cheer her up, as well as forming a type of protective circle around her when it looked like she was going to be teased by some of the malicious juniors and seniors. Chaya heard some kind of story about Miyami almost attacking Claire in the girls changing room for saying something about her.

Even this didn't help. She remained sullen and quiet, almost as though she had shifted out of the school universe.

By Wednesday, Hiwatari could be heard telling his friends that he was slightly disappointed in her reaction to the prank. "And I actually thought she had balls."

"You nitwit, she's a girl, she doesn't have balls," Haley snarled at him when she heard this.

Despite being extremely thankful to her friends, it seemed that Chaya just didn't care anymore. She took to hanging out in the library, and when the librarian kicked her out because she was unnerved by her silence, she spent most of her free time down with the creepy janitor, Jackson, helping him with various odd jobs. Even her clothing style seemed a little depleted. She didn't wear any of her outrageous and witty t-shirts, nor did she defiantly wear her boots in Clarkson's presence.

"Is she really alright, or did she suffer some trauma?" she heard Miyami ask her brother in a voice that sounded like she was trying not to be overheard but was failing miserably. She pretended to be absorbed in getting her books from her locker.

"I don't know, she doesn't talk to me," was her twin's reply. "And it's really strange because usually she can recover from this in a second and is getting revenge the next day. It's been three now."

There was a sudden shriek in the hallways that made all activity stop, and everyone looked towards the sounds. People came rushing out of their classrooms, hurrying towards the origin of the commotion. What they saw, no one would forget.

Hillary had obviously been by the lockers while talking to Claire, opening it to get her books. A brown paper bag had fallen out onto the floor the minute the door opened and out fell something limp, brown and furry, like a rather wild looking washcloth. It would have been easy to overlook if it hadn't been for the smell that came with it. On closer inspection, the student body discovered to their horror that what had been in the paper bag was the remnants of a squirrel that had been run-over, it's body placed in the paper bag.

The two girls continued to scream amidst the confused and grossed-out shouts. Someone went to get the janitor while another went to fetch Clarkson. The students watched, whispers growing as Hillary whirled around a few times, before her eyes rested on Chaya, who was walking by with her books in hand. "You! You did this, you little creep!"

"Me?" the blond said lightly, her voice still somewhat quiet and reserved. "First of all, I'd need your locker combo to get there and I have no desire to go near any of your things – I might be contaminated by your horrible perfume. Second of all, you have no proof, thirdly, get a life. The warranty on yours is running out."

And she stalked off, practically parting the crowd as she did so, ignoring the whispers and hisses. Her brother and Miyami had joined her moments later as she turned to corner, both of them looking at her strangely.

"Chays…that squirrel…" her brother began doubtfully.

"Never would have guessed that someone as small and starved as Hillary would be such a good screamer," Chaya remarked absently. "She really is a great screamer. Movie worthy, you know? In those predictable teen movies –"

"Do you think that was deliberate?"

Chaya blinked and for the first time in three days looked at Miyami. "What was deliberate?"

"That squirrel. Do you think it was deliberate?"

Chaya knew what Miyami was thinking, and shrugged, deciding to play along. "I don't get what you mean by deliberate. Are you asking me if I think the stupid rodent got itself run-over and then just before it died scrambled into a paper bag because for some, strange reason beyond our knowledge it wanted to die in a paper bag? Which happened to be in Hillary's locker? Or are you asking me whether it was Hillary deliberately pulling that stunt to blame more stuff on me; which, in my opinion, is much more likely than the former."

"You know damn well that's not what I'm asking, Chaya," Miyami said crossly.

Chaya blinked, in obvious confusion. "Well then what are you asking?"

The two girls looked at each other, before the silver-haired girl sighed in defeat and waved a hand dismissively. "Forget about it."

The prank on Hillary wasn't even the beginning. A series of random acts committed throughout the week were aimed directly at her, as well as a group of juniors and seniors that included Hiwatari and Ivanov. Later that day, the cafeteria's 'mushroom surprise' had something in it that made an entire table's teeth stick together as though they had been glued. Not even an hour later, after the school nurse had administered some vinegar to disintegrate the sticking solution, Hillary and a group of the girls that tended to hang off of Hiwatari and his friends hurried from the bathrooms, scratching themselves in the most embarrassing places because someone had put itching powder all over the toilet seats in the girls bathroom.

On and on it went. Ivanov bent over one day to pick up a ten dollar bill and when he straightened up he realized someone had set the back of his pants on fire as they walked by. He was too busy trying to put out the tiny, actually harmless flames, that he didn't notice the culprit.

Glue and feathers exploding over Hiwatari and Hillary one morning, forcing them to walk around like half-plucked turkeys for the day…bras and underwear pinned to ever locker door in the school…'kick me' signs always seemed to find their places onto their backs. Over the next two days, as the series of pranks continued, Chaya's mood seemed to improve. The rumours circulating the school were that Chaya was out for the ultimate revenge. Either that, or Hiwatari, Hillary, Ivanov and their few friends all had extremely bad luck. Since Chaya never admitted it to anyone, even her friends or brother, if she was the one orchestrating all these acts of sabotage, no one really knew.

The bell had barely rung to signify the end of the lunch hour on Friday, when Hillary and the rest of the girls approached Chaya and practically got on their knees in front of her. Claire's hair had had to be shorn off the day before because a certain someone had managed to weave gum into it while she was watching a history film and Hillary and one other girl had broken out in some strange rash, probably thanks to the itching powder.

"Please," Hiwatari's girlfriend practically begged. "We're sorry for putting you through all that at the lake, we were wrong! Please, please stop with these stupid tricks!"

Chaya didn't reply, but merely raised an eyebrow.

"We promise we'll never to it again," Claire assured, although she looked annoyed at how the situation had been turned around. A crowd had gathered around them in the hallway, but Chaya ignored them.

"And what abut your idiotic leaders?" she asked loftily. "Hiwatari and Ivanov? Aren't they around?"

"Kai won't give in to someone like you," Hillary said stiffly, scratching at her hip vigorously. "But I can't take this anymore. Please, stop."

The blond shrugged, "Well, if you've really learned not to screw with me." The girls nodded eagerly, obviously intent to get off the hook. "Promise?" All three began to almost swear oaths of allegiance to her and her smile widened. "Alrighty then. It's all good, guys. Now get the hell out of my sight."

The group of girls lumbered off, calling out their thanks over their shoulders. She shook her head at them in amusement, along with the rest of the students as she took in the signs she had stuck on their backs much earlier. It did seem kind of mean to have written 'Pinch My Butt', but it was also funny.

The blond girl turned on her heel, intent on sauntering off and possibly going to class, when she found her way barred by an extremely large, extremely ugly bosom that could only belong to one person. Groaning, she tried to avert her gaze from the grotesque sight. "Afternoon, Ms. Clarkson."

"So, the guilty has come forward," the unsightly, middle-aged woman said, her breath causing Chaya to shudder and have a sudden flash-back to the stench of the portable bathroom. "Come with me, Chaya-Amelia, we have a lot of things to talk about I think."

"I didn't do it!" Chaya protested immediately as she was led down the halls towards the woman's ugly purple office.

Clarkson's voice sounded smug. "Guilty conscience, then?"

"No, it was…an accident?" Chaya tried, already feeling how badly that excuse had bombed.

"No, Miss Mizuhara, spilling milk on a rug is an accident. What you have done in the past few days can be classified as a tornado."

"Look, I can explain, if you'd just –"

"We will discuss this _inside_," Clarkson replied, yanking open the office door and gesturing towards the interior of the office.

Chaya sighed, "Fine…" And then she shrugged, deciding she really couldn't do anything about it. The woman had it in for her anyway, why not go get it over with?

The office had not changed in appearance in the week of absence Chaya had taken of it, but she did take note of two obvious changes, one more significant than the other one. The first was that the ugly, painful black leather couch had been exchange with an even more rigid, painful looking sofa. The second was the presence of a certain slate-haired junior who was sitting on the aforementioned couch.

"What the hell is he doing here?" she spat, blood rushing to her face and her fists clenching. He looked up to meet her gaze, smirked, and then settled back onto the uncomfortable couch, the leather of his jacket rubbing against the black covering.

"Sit down, Chaya-Amelia, and do I absolutely need to remind you that we don't use that kind of language in here?" the woman asked in an almost tired voice, patting her solidified hair-do absently.

"I'll stand, thank you," she said automatically, both for the sake of not wanting to sit on a back-breaking couch and for not wanting to go anywhere near Hiwatari. Ms. Clarkson gave her the best die-where-you-stand-unless-you-sit-down look that she could muster and Chaya hurriedly sat, making sure to pull her dirty Converse up onto the leather. 'Feh. I obey the letter of the law, not the spirit…'

"I am very disappointed with the behaviour that the two of you have shown over the past few weeks," she pronounced slowly and deliberately, looking at the each in turn with her beady eyes. "I have her…snippets of what occurred this past Sunday evening and I know all about the shenanigans that have been going in this school since then. Usually I really don't care about what happens outside of school, but the minute it begins to affect the behaviour of my students while in this building, I make it my business. So. Explain."

Her nostrils flared and she sat back in her chair, almost as though she expected both of them to start spilling whatever was on their mind. Chaya looked intently back, clamping her mouth shut. She'd be damned if she said anything to this pork rind in training!

"Alright," the woman said, after a few minutes of silent staring. She obviously realized that neither Chaya nor Hiwatari were inclined to say anything. "I'll tell you what I think happened. I think you, Kai, had a hand in that picture that was on the board earlier this week. Something obviously happened to you, Chaya-Amelia, and you decided to get a little revenge. This game of yours has taken on an unexpected twist and neither of you look as though you're having fun any more. From what I just saw in the halls, my suspicions have been confirmed. Had I known this sooner, I would have had you clean up after the squirrel incident." She sent Chaya a meaningful look.

"Okay, that wasn't me!" Chaya cried. "The last few were me, but I didn't start this! I don't do dead rodents, they're not my style and if I had ever decided to glue someone's teeth together, I'd have used permanent glue!"

Hiwatari made a noise that sounded like a cross between a snort and a laugh. Clarkson silenced him with a single look.

"Well then, answer me this. Who else had a motive to do something to those girls and Kai here? All of the offences were done against a single group of people, and always the same ones." Clarkson was smug, waiting for Chaya's response. The blond girl opened her mouth to speak, and then a second later closed it again. This was a question she didn't know the answer to. No one (at the moment) had any sort of manic grudge against Hiwatari's little crew the way that she did. It was the perfect framing. "I rest my case. Kai, you may leave for now, but you will be serving a detention for putting up that photograph Monday." The teenager made a small note of acknowledgment. "And you, Chaya-Amelia, will remain here while we negotiate your punishment."

Hiwatari smirked at her as he stood up and made to leave. Clarkson was back to patting her solidified hair again and when she wasn't paying attention, Chaya lashed out and kicked Hiwatari in the shin, making him swear. Clarkson looked up immediately, her eyes suspiciously eyeing both of the teenagers. Both looked at her innocently, although Hiwatari's smirk had gotten wider.

Just as he closed the door behind him, Chaya remembered something crucial. On Wednesday, when the entire table where Hiwatari, Ivanov, Hilary and the others ate had suddenly had their teeth stuck together and had to run from the room, she had noticed Hiwatari laughing out loud at the rest of them, before following them out of the caf towards the nurse's office.

It was like a light bulb had gone off somewhere. It had been him!

(-)

Chaya practically kicked open the door of the office, mumbling curses under her breath and ignoring Clarkson's imploring orders not to disrespect her property.

'Stupid woman!' she thought furiously, flexing her fingers to symbolize how much she really wanted to strangle the woman right now. 'She thinks _I_ need special care? And a stupid _special_ punishment! Meanwhile that bastard got off again1 I bet cash changed hands this time around to that stupid, egotistical, irresponsible, impossible – "

"Ahchoo!

She jumped abruptly when she realized she wasn't the only person in the waiting room outside Clarkson's office. 'Speak of the devil…'

Hiwatari was leaning against the wall, wiping his nose lightly as he recovered from the sneeze, and then fixing her in an intent stare.

"What do you want?" she demanded, hands on her hips. "To get me into trouble for you again? I know perfectly well that you're the one that pulled that squirrel stunt. That was absolutely disgusting."

If it was possible, he grinned at her.

"You going to let me in on why?"

"You going to stop being so Evita-like?" he replied easily, and she gaped at him, before glaring stonily at the floor. He did sort of have a point. She had been pretty focused on herself for the first few days, but then again anyone would have been after what he and his buddies had put her through.

"You find the ground that interesting?" his voice was irritated, as though it annoyed him that she was ignoring him.

She continued to stare at the ground for a smell, and then smirked grimly. "Actually, yes/ I had a conversation with the ground once. Would you like to hear about it?"

He snorted. "Pass."

"Aw, come on," she looked up and pretended to be mock-hurt, although the amusement wasn't strong enough to reach her eyes. "Don't you want to hear about my riveting conversation on the origins of the tapeworm with Mr. Ground?"

He quirked an eyebrow and muttered, "Mr. Ground?"

She shrugged. "Couldn't think of anything else." Her demeanour changed and she glared at him anew. "So what the hell are you up to this time?"

"Come on, Mizuhara, you were moping around and it disgusted me more than seeing you normally everyday," he scoffed at her. "I really didn't think someone could be so pathetic, so I figured I'd jog your memory." He turned to leave. "Oh, and I think we're even now. It's your play."

She blinked, totally confused by what he meant. What did he mean, they were even? They couldn't be even. He had been the one to pull the pranks on his friends and himself, and he had been the one to lock her into that small, enclosed space at the beach.

But then again…hadn't he tried to apologize for it seconds later? Almost as though he had realized that the joke had gotten out of hand?

'I never thought about that,' she considered. 'All I remembered was Johnny freaking out, I didn't know why.'

She smirked. This hadn't been Hiwatari just deciding to be nice and help her out. This had been a question of good form and possibly his honour. If he had any, she added mentally. The plain truth was that he had owed her onw. She grinned to herself and cleared her throat, "I guess you're right. We'll have to do something about that."

He paused and looked over his shoulder, his face hard and hateful as ever. "If you ever pull shit like that again, don't expect me to do this again. I was just evening the playing ground, got that?"

"No problema," she shot back, equally cool. "Because you're in for it."

She watched him leave, and then after a few moments, she left the office area as well, deciding to go find her friends. She let her mind run over what had just occurred, finding it amusing and disturbing at the same time that Hiwatari didn't seem to care if the people he pranked were his friends or not. It was like everyone was beneath him and for a moment she realized that he really didn't have any friends. He was a loner pretending to be at the center of attention.

'But why the hell would he be doing that?' she wanted to know. 'It doesn't make sense…he must have a horrible family life.'

"Chaya!" she looked up in surprise as Miyami, Johnny, Tyson and Max came tearing around the corner towards her. She gaped at them as they suddenly were right there in front of her, all of them grinning at her.

"What are you guys doing here?" she asked.

"We heard you got caught by Clarkson," Max explained, looking worried. "Anything bad happen?"

"Huh, no, wait. Should you guys be in class? Don't tell me all of your teachers let you out at the same time…"

"Dude, the bell rang ages ago," Miyami said. "Clarkson kept you like an hour in there."

Chaya gaped. "You're kidding. She kept me after school on a _Friday_? Damn it, I didn't even hear the bell ring! I was so zoned out about the entire thing."

"Ouch," Tyson sympathized.

"What'd you do?"

"Did you get a detention?"

"Were you the one pulling all those pranks? Because that was some seriously heavy artillery," Miyami broke in suspiciously.

Chaya thought back to Hiwatari and how he had purposely made it look as though it had been her. If she told the others that he had been the one to pull the first few, he'd probably try to kill her. And besides, she agreed with him. She didn't want him to suddenly become to good guy. The image was way to disturbing…

Flashing her friends a secretive grin, she shrugged and sauntered off. "What do you think?"

There was a shocked pause and silence behind her, before a loud chorus of "I knew it!" shattered the silence of the hallway. Chaya smiled to herself.

It seemed that the balance was restored.

* * *

>0 

TBC


	12. Dust and Band Aids

**_Drowning In The Clouds_**

_Author_: KuriQuinn

_Title_: Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom_: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all.

_Rating_: R for language, mature themes and possible violence in later chapters

_Pairing_: Figure it out.

_Takes-Place_: Alternate Universe

_Summary_: Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

_Note: _I don't know of any real Museum of Ancient History so I made it up for the sake of this story. Deal.

* * *

>0

**Chapter Eleven: Dust and Band-Aids **

The weeks following Ray's birthday and the squirrel incident passed quickly, although they tended to be filled with the usual mischief and pranks from both sides. Attending Bethany High slowly became more familiar and casual to Chaya than any of her previous school. She was readily admitted onto the volleyball team after a few try-outs, but missed the soccer try-outs because of Yom Kippur and hadn't made it onto the team. Not that she really minded in the big scheme of things. She'd rather have free to time to hang out with her friends than have to be dragged across town to play soccer every other day.

Her punishment from Clarkson had been a choice out of three things that the woman had designed to keep her busy. She had the option of either being a full time assistant to Jackson, a type of hall monitor so to speak, work as an assistant-slash-kiss-up to Clarkson or to agree to host an exchange student from overseas for a month. The latter had seemed the most rewarding, considering if Chaya was well behaved she might be allowed to participate on student exchange the next year. And the other two options had just been creepy…From what Chaya had been told, her charge was a girl coming from Austria, from a school that Clarkson and the administration desperately wanted to establish connections with. And Chaya happened to be one of the only students in the school that spoke German fluently…

Her classes were slowly beginning to make sense to her as time went on and she even liked some of them, despite the usual troubles in math and science class. Her French elective was relatively easy for her, considering how many times she had been immersed in French culture. She had been placed in the more advanced French class, but she was still trying to understand if that was a good thing or not. M. Soret was an imposing man of six feet, with a shock of white hair and the expression on his face that made Chaya want to ask if he had pouted too much as a kid and it had stuck that way. He barked his orders to the students, criticized them almost to tears and threatened them with detention for every little indiscretion, but for some reason he wasn't as much as a threat as Ms. Clarkson. Soret had a cynical, sarcastic sense of humour that Chaya found herself enjoying immensely. That, and he disliked Claire Marchand just as much as she did…

Art and history were courses that Chaya didn't have any trouble following, despite . Their art teacher Ms. Overholt, a flushed, squat woman with multi-colored hair was as much an _artiste_ in teaching as she was in her actions and Riley was a fair, good-natured man who treated his students like adults instead of whiny teenagers.

English was taught by a kind-faced, kind-hearted Irishman by the name of Mr. Higgins, who on the first day, set the students about the task of expressing themselves in any way, shape or form, and actually managed to make Shakespeare's _Macbeth_ seem like more than an old play.

That was where the fun ended, however. Physical education, taught by Mr. Winters was a two-hour-a-week torture as the man ordered them about, lectured them on the importance of following the school rules and made the students feel like incompetent idiots whenever they made a mistake; Spanish was an endless drone of Ms. Jester or _Señora _Jester, not bothering to teach the class at a normal pace, but ploughing through Spanish verbs and prepositions before any of them even knew how to say 'que?'.

On the first Monday in October, the freshman and sophomore classes at Bethany High were being driven towards the Museum of Ancient History, a three hour drive that was bearable only because of the television that had been turned on and was playing a movie about some rookie skateboarders trying to be signed on and trailing across the country after another professional skateboarding team. Chaya had found it amusing for the first part, but later on began to fall asleep.

"So, whath up with you?" a tired voice asked and suddenly Haley was leaning over the bus seat in front of Chaya and staring at her with a grin.

Chaya smirked up at her friend and raised an eyebrow. "Nice lisp there. Get your tongue pierced?"

"Yeth," Haley mumbled, sticking out her tongue to show off the barbell that was protruding through her tongue. Chaya made a face at it, trying to imagine having something stuck in your mouth constantly. She couldn't do it.

"You sound pretty retarded, you know."

"I know. Ith only tempowawy. The thwelling will go down and the lithp will go away."

"And looking retarded?" Chaya couldn't help adding. "When does that go away?"

Her blue-haired friend glared at her. "Thut the fuck up."

"Love you, Hal," she laughed out loud, shifting her position and trailing her legs over her sleeping seatmate's knees. Miyami had conked out about fifteen minutes after the bus had left Bethany High and since then Chaya had been forced to find her socializing companions elsewhere.

"Tho, how goeth the Epic of the Authrian?" Haley continued. "Know anything elth about her?"

"Nah, Judy was too busy yelling at me for burdening her with more stupidity and comparing me to Becky to tell me anything. So I'm thinking maybe I should keep whoever she is with us as long as I can."

"Have you thought about what would happen if, you know, thee turned out to be ethactly like Claire or Hillary?"

"That's the part where I personally fly her back to Austria," Chaya smirked. "Anyone with Claire's qualities should be forced into a home or at least put out of their misery."

This statement earned her a glare from the brown-haired girl who was sitting a few seats down from them, and Chaya grinned. She waved at the other girl to show her that she really didn't care whether she had been heard or not.

"Back to more thane noth," Haley continued, her arm resting on something Chaya could identify as the top of Jennifer's head, "whath the nexth prank plan you have ready for Hiwatari?"

"Who said anything about a plan?" Chaya raised an eyebrow. "I'm more of the…spur of the moment type. Besides, I like to let it build."

"Then thith nexth prank'll be good, right?"

"Hey Hal, why don't you turn around and use this time to catch up on your homework?" Jennifer's voice mumbled quietly from where her head was being used as an arm-rest. With an annoyed jerk she flipped Haley's arm off of her head and turned slightly to glare at her bluenette. "You know, considering we're going to be in this bus for another hour and we all know you're marks could be better."

"How about no?" Haley commented with a wicked grin. " Reading in a buth maketh me thick – thcrath that, reading anywhere makes me thick. ' She sniggered. "Thides, I have a better idea…"

"Haley, don't you dare!"

Chaya rolled her eyes at the two and squinted up front to where Tyson and Max were arguing over something. The way the shouts could be heard even at the back of the bus, Chaya discerned that the subject of the discussion was about hockey. Max was adamantly protesting that the Toronto Maple Leafs were the best in the league, while Tyson argued that the Boston Bruins were the better team.

Chaya couldn't give a damn. She hated hockey, finding it a waste of good ice and wood, not to mention a stupid piece of plastic flying at you a hundred miles an hour. Hadn't someone nearly died because they were hit in the neck with a puck on year?

Either way, she didn't care for the sport.

A hand suddenly appeared over her face and pinched her nose, before retreating. She jumped as it let go and whirled around with great difficulty to glare at it's owner. Johnny grinned back at her in a would-be innocent manner. "Do that again and I'll murder you, McGregor."

He pretended to look shocked. "Ooh…sounds like you've got a lot of anger bottled up inside of you there, Chays. I recommend activities that involve fire or point objects." He paused to consider. "Or both."

"Forget that, all I need is a sock an a brick. I can change the world, one stupid person at a time," she replied dangerously. "Care to volunteer?"

He grinned up at her winningly. "You love me too much to hurt me."

She sighed and pulled at her long pigtails in annoyance. "Out of all the nutcases in the world, why did you have to sit in back of me?"

"Because it's fun to see you annoyed," he replied simply, as though that explained everything. "Besides, it's not my fault that my seat mate decided to get sucked into some weird anime porn novel."

Chaya glanced over at Flash, who didn't react to Johnny's misconceptions of manga other than to slowly lift up his hand and direct his middle finger to Johnny, his eyes never straying from his comic book. Chaya couldn't help but laugh, and then turned her eyes back to Johnny. "Well, it is your fault that you got separated from your grade. It was stupid of you to put a firecracker under Mariah's ass. We're in a confined space, idiot. That firecracker could have been used for better things."

"It was an accident," Johnny protested, looking as though his honour had been questioned. "The incessant Ray chatter was enough to drive anyone crazy. I'm but an innocent victim."

She shook her head, a smile on her face.

"So, Lady Chaya-and-you-have-no-chance-with-me – what's up in your world?"

"Nothing worth reporting," she yawned, turning around again and leaning against the window. The trees and grasses that surrounded the highway flashed by in an endless pattern, the monotony only sometimes broken by road signs the farther they drove.

She caught sight of Riley at the front of the bus, standing to say something to the bus driver. He was pointing ahead of them and making a few motions with his hands, before he laughed. Considering the sign that had just passed her window had said that the Museum was still an hour away, it seemed that Riley was suggesting another rest stop.

'Good thing to, because I need to go to the bathroom,' she thought with a grumble. This was the reason she hated traveling by car or bus. The question of the lavatories…

Reaching over, she poked Miyami, trying to wake her. "Hey. Rest stop. You hungry or something?"

"Get lost…" her friend muttered groggily, turning around and curling into her seat. For a moment Chaya was amazed that her friend could actually manage to curl into a ball that fit neatly into the entire seat. "Wake me up…in five days…"

She heard Johnny snort behind her and shook her head. "I'll take that as a 'no' then."

(-)

"…the ancient Egyptians themselves traced their origin to a land they called Punt, which was once located on what is today the Somali coast. The history of Ancient Egypt really started when Egypt was a unified state, something that occurred around three thousand years before the Common Era. Archaeological evidence indicates…"

Chaya yawned, looking around in boredom, trying to find something more interesting than the old man who was lecturing them on the ancient history of Egypt. 'The guy's pretty ancient himself…'

The museum was an amazing structure, modeled in a gothic era type of building, complete with the stained glass windows and miniature flying buttresses. The ceiling above them was glass, distant sounds of rain hitting up against its surface. The weather had abruptly changed half-an-hour before they had arrived at the museum, giving way to clouds and thunder.

The freshman and sophomore classes had been split up upon the arrival, and the freshmen were currently standing before a very old, very wise and very boring museum guide that was trying to explain the origins of the Egyptians as well as their way of life. His speech was tiring everyone, even Chaya who was known to be the school's history nut. It was taking a lot of self control for her not to take over and correct a few of the things he was saying.

'The evidence supporting the theory that Punt was located on the Somali Coast was inconclusive, moron. Experts believe it might have been either in Sudan or Eritrea now…' she thought grimly, practically gritting her teeth together so she didn't say anything.

Beside her, Miyami's head was lolling on Tyson's shoulder and even Jennifer seemed to be falling asleep on her feet. And this was supposed to be the most interesting exhibit in the place!

"…consequently, there may be discrepancies between the dates shown here on this poster behind me and in articles on particular rulers, which you can either read here or in the books that can be purchased in our gift shop…"

Riley, looking at his watch, suddenly cleared his throat and interrupted the man. Chaya paid attention, pretending she had been drinking in every word that the old guy had been jabbering on about. "Thank you, Mr. Mitchell, for you _riveting_ account of the ancient Egyptians," his eyes twinkled as he put the emphasis on the one word. "It was extremely great of you to conduct this tour with us."

"No trouble, Mr. Riley," the man beamed.

"And now it's the free time I told you all about," the young teacher continued, his words almost cut off by the cheers of his students. "And, as I told you, I'll be putting you into pairs –" There were groans from all the same students, "- so that you can work together. I want you to choose one exhibit to do your report on. You have an hour, so I'll just read the names out now to spare times. Remember, kids, I may be wicked cool, but I'm still your history teacher."

Chaya snorted at this. Riley _was_ the coolest teacher at Bethany High and he obviously knew it. The crowd seemed to have woken up a little now that the droning old man had stopped talking. Everyone was paying close attention to who they would be paired with for their project. Miyami punched Chaya lightly on the shoulder. "So, you want to do the Egyptians. I mean, I could give some background on it – I mean, I do have family from Egypt…"

"…Haley Jones and Tyson Granger, you're together…"

"Since when? And besides, Riley said _he's_ putting us into pairs. It's not pick an choose," Chaya commented as she tried to scratch a stain off of her 'Shit Happens' shirt.

"…Kevin Chang and Max Mizuhara…"

"Since always," Miyami snorted. "And it's Riley we're talking about. He's cool. He'll probably put us together because he knows we work well together –"

"…Claire Marchand and Chaya Mizuhara, you're a pair…"

Chaya choked at the mention of her name with Claire and then stared at Miyami in utter horror. "You were saying?"

Miyami merely shrugged helplessly at her as she was paired with Iris Messana. Chaya found Claire staring at her in shock and disgust that mirrored her own and felt the bottom drop out of her stomach. This was not going to be an enjoyable affair…

After all of the names had been called and the groups shuffled off, only Chaya and Claire remained behind. The brunette marched up to their teacher and jabbed her finger beside her, nearly spearing Chaya in the arm. "Mr. Riley, you can't put me with her, she'll give me indigestion!"

"Over what, you don't eat," Chaya muttered darkly under her breath, folding her arms over her chest and sending a glare towards Riley that was meant to imply 'what the hell are you thinking?'.

"This will be a learning experience for the two of you," Riley explained, a knowing grin on his face. "I've noticed how the two of you behave towards one another and I figured you could use some quality time together to settle your differences."

"Quality time is supposed to be fun," Chaya snapped. "If you have a death-wish for her, you'll leave the arrangement as it is Riley. I can't be held responsible for my actions…"

Riley made a rather obvious gesture as he glanced at his watch. "You two are losing valuable time, I hope you know."

"And you just lost the Teacher of the Year Award, you absolutist abomination," Chaya grumbled, earning an amused look from Riley and a confused one from Claire. After a long glare, she dragged Claire off towards the Renaissance exhibit, intent on making the best of this crummy situation.

"Get your dirty hands off of me," the brunette shrieked, slapping Chaya's hands off of her wrists. "God only knows where they've been."

"Look, sweetie," Chaya snarled, grabbing the front of Claire's tank-top and gripping it in her fist. "You don't like me, and it may come as a huge shock to you, but you're not my favourite person around either. So we're going to make the best of it, okay? We're going to choose a topic, write the damn report and then I'm never going to speak to you again, capiche?"

Her fellow freshman nodded, although still glaring, and Chaya relaxed her grip on the other girl. The two of them marched off, both careful to keep at least six feet between the two of them. 'Oh, I'm going to kill Riley one day…'

"What are you so quiet and sulking about?" Claire demanded after a while, as though it had been her to get the raw end of the deal.

"Whether to use a chainsaw or a regular gun."

"Gun. Blood's hard to get out of your clothes."

'Guh. How could this be any worse!'

Half an hour later the two girls found themselves returning to the Egyptian exhibit, both red-faced in anger, although it was Chaya that was fuming at such a rate it looked as though steam might begin to come out of her ears.

"I don't know why you don't want to do Tudor or Elizabethan England!" she seethed, flexing her fingers again to signify how much she wanted to strangle Claire. "Those are some of the most memorable eras in English history – unless you want to do the Stuarts, which I wouldn't mind either."

"I don't care about any of those times! They all had ugly rulers," Claire sniffed. "Besides, it's too hard to figure out all the stupid rules and who cares if Harry the Seventeenth beheaded all his wives and divorced the Church of England! That's all in the past, so who cares?"

"I do!"

"Well then I'm adding that to my list of thing's that are wrong with you," Claire said loftily, and then added, "It's a really long list."

"For your information, it was Henry the_ Eighth_ that beheaded _two_ of his wives and _broke_ from the _Roman Catholic Church_! And if you don't want to do those, why not the Middle Ages?"

"That's too hard," Claire moaned as they strolled passed the taped-off exhibit that depicted an Egyptian preparation room, where the wax mannequins were getting ready to entomb a Pharaoh.

"Why can't we do the Renaissance?" Claire whined.

"Because everyone's doing the Renaissance because it's right next to the food court!" Chaya protested. "Why don't you put some of that arguing energy into trying to find an exhibit?"

"Why should I?" Claire asked smugly. "You look like you're having all that fun…"

Chaya snapped. She couldn't take it any more.

"That's it," she growled, and before Claire knew what was happening, the blond girl had dragged her over the tape and thrown her in the empty sarcophagus.

"Mizuhara, what the hell do you think you're doing!" the girl shrieked in shock as Chaya pushed the heavy cover over the sarcophagus. She could hear pounding on the inside of the thing, but knew perfectly well that Claire didn't have problem's with small spaces.

"What does it look like? Making you part of history!"

(-)

"…It is therefore extremely lucky that the museum decided not to press charges," Clarkson said coldly, her nostrils flaring. "The school, however, has decided that this cannot go unpunished, therefore you will serve an in-school suspension for the next week."

Chaya glared at the woman sulkily, trying to be scared at this prospect but still not able to pull it off. She was still too angry from before. It seemed letting things build hadn't been such a good idea…

The trip had had to be cut short because of the stunt Chaya had pulled and the two grades were now back at school, most of them going home. Chaya was, of course, in the office with Clarkson discussing what had occurred with Claire Marchand and, even more obviously, losing her battle spectacularly.

'The only good thing about this was that the stupid report got cancelled,' she thought grimly as she tried, as was usual, to get comfortable on the new rigid couch. It was a hopeless effort. She listened absently to how Clarkson made an even bigger deal out of what had happened, going on and on about how Claire's parents were ready to sue because the experience may have traumatized their daughter for. They maintained that Claire could have been forgotten about and just left in the sarcophagus for hours on end.

Chaya didn't see how, considering the museum staff had tabs on when someone crossed over the lines leading to the exhibits and that security had already been on their way. That, and hypothetically, when the class was leaving, the theoretical outcome of Claire not being around would have tipped Riley off that something had happened to her. There really was no big deal.

"Well, what have you got to say for yourself?"

"The way I see it, Riley's the irresponsible one for pairing me up with Claire in the first place."

"That's Mr. Riley to you, Chaya-Amelia, and as to the comment about irresponsibility, perhaps the word you're looking for is opportunist. Mr. Riley believes that you can become friends with Miss Marchand if you actually try."

"Maybe I don't want to be friends with her; did you ever think about that?" Chaya asked darkly. "You can't force someone to like another person, it doesn't work that way. And money will only get you so far."

Clarkson's nostrils flared. "And just what are you implying there, Miss Mizuhara?"

"You know what I'm implying," she said simply, and finally growing tired, stormed out of the small office, banging the door loudly behind her.

She didn't really care if she was expelled or not. It wasn't anything new. She was always the one that was in the wrong, so what was the point of trying to sugar coat it? She glanced up at the large clock that hung over the secretary's office, signifying how much time she had before her parents showed up. She wondered if she could sneak out of the school before that happened.

"What's going on with you, kid?" a raspy voice asked and she jumped when none other than Jackson the janitor appeared before her.

"I'm pissed off?" Chaya suggested, more calm than she actually felt.

"Obviously," the man said, leaning on his mop. "I was just wondering whether you're trying to get yourself expelled."

Chaya was silent for a moment and then spoke. "Maybe."

"What was it you did this time?"

The girl recounted the entire story to him, him listening patiently. He didn't say anything, but did laugh when she mentioned the part about her locking someone into a sarcophagus. When she finished the tale, he regarded her calculatingly. "Sounds to me like you have an overly large chip on your shoulder, kid."

She opened her mouth, but he stopped her.

"Now, I know that you're the type that thinks laws are for wimps and annoying people should be fed to the dogs, but you have to realize that life is full of things you're going to hate. You might as well try to buck up and take them head on. The way you're acting right now, you're just throwing a tantrum." He noticed her look. "You don't have to like it, and I'm not saying you should…but if you really want to have a miserable life, you keep going the way you are."

Chaya was silent, and then sighed. The creepy janitor was right---sort of---Claire had deserved to be thrown in a tomb, but Chaya shouldn't have done it. And she did admit inwardly that she could be a little reckless.

"So I'm guessing you're going to tell me to apologize to everyone I've pissed off since I got here?"

"Hell no, kid, I know you'd never do that…I just think you should have some respect for your elders---even if you have to fake it in cases such as Vice Principal Clarkson."

Chaya grinned.

"Besides," he added. "I've heard you're a damn good actor---can pull pranks off and keep a straight face. Not many people can do that."

He nodded at her and sauntered off.

Chaya looked down, and then smiled. Faking was okay…and she didn't _really_ want to be expelled…she'd made too many friends and too much of a bang around here to get kicked out now.

Screwing up her will in a way that was like swallowing an overly large pill, she trudged back to Clarkson's office.

* * *

>0

YEAH, IT'S A BITTER PILL, BUT SOMEONE HAS TO SWALLOW IT…

KQ


	13. Cookie Crumbs

**_Drowning In The Clouds_**

_Author_: KuriQuinn

_Title_: Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom_: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all.

_Fanfiction Disclaimer_: Chaya is my own creation, as is Haley, Jennifer, Claire and anyone else that you don't recognize. Miyami Kinomiya belongs to Mags, my best friend. Aurelia Delk belongs to Band-Freak aka Lobo-Chan. And that is all for now...Flash Jameson belongs to Flash, IrisMessana belongs to Iz

_Rating_: R for language, mature themes and possible violence in later chapters

_Pairing_: Figure it out.

_Takes-Place_: Alternate Universe

_Summary_: Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

* * *

>0 

**Chapter Twelve: Cookie Crumbs **

"So, how does it feel now that you're free from detention once again?" Miyami asked her a little more than a week after the sarcophagus incident. Chaya rolled her eyes at her best friend who was grinning at her cheerfully from beneath long lashes. The two of them stood together in the 'Arrivals' terminal of the Will Rogers World Airport, waiting for a certain Aurelia Delk to come through Customs.

The time had come for Chaya to finally host the Austrian girl, something Clarkson was extremely grateful for it seemed. She had never paid so much pseudo-positive attention to Chaya as she did over the past week. It was so evident and often that even Hiwatari had taken notice and had begun to capitalize on this for his material to make fun of her. Most of the junior's were calling her Clarkson's pet, a term she wasn't too happy to have acquired.

It had taken a few threat and a very convincing reminder of the 'revenge' she had taken on Hiwatari's friends to get most of them off of her back.

"Pretty much the same as before," Chaya shrugged. "I don't understand what Clarkson thinks is so horrible about cleaning. She keeps giving me these jobs to help Jackson out with; almost as though it's a real punishment – and it's not. He ends up telling me all about stuff from the sixties. And the topics are fun, like he'll go into the Cold War and politics and history and Woodstock –"

" Jackson was at Woodstock?" Miyami made a face.

"Apparently."

The silver-haired girl made another face and then looked up at the three television sets that hung above them, their screens telling all the people waiting below them the times of the flights coming in. According to the television in the middle where the flight from Zurich was supposed to come in, the flight had long since arrived. "Is she here yet?"

"Three words: Haven't. Got. A. Clue."

"That's four words," Miyami pointed out.

Chaya considered this. "Hm, perhaps being able to count would help."

Her friend nodded in agreement. "Do you know what she looks like?"

"Nope. She wouldn't tell me either when I contacted her via e-mail. She just said we' know who she was when we got their. She sounds like a sarcastic little creep…I guess all we have to do now is pray." Chaya paused for a moment, looking up at the screen for help, and when she couldn't find it, she sighed. "So, have you sacrificed a fatted calf yet?"

"Meh. I bought a hamburger for lunch earlier. That should be good enough."

"Great, we're screwed."

"Would you chill?" Miyami rolled her eyes. "There's nothing to panic about."

"Whenever someone says that something panic-worthy always happens," Chaya accused. "And you'd be panicking too after just being chewed out by your mother about not screwing up this chance or something along those lines. Judy spent practically the whole week telling me off and ordering me to be on my best behaviour and not to act too much like the slob that I am. And Max is all ticked off because he has to sleep in the study for three weeks."

"Three weeks? That sure is a short time to be here," Miyami frowned. "Especially with the twenty-eight hour flight there and back again."

Chaya paused, running over her friends words, and then turned to her. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

"It takes twenty-eight or so hours to get here by plane," Miyami said, her voice slow and deliberate as though explaining it to a child. " Australia isn't that close a place, hon."

Chaya laughed out loud. "You nuthead, she's not from Australia, she's from _Austria_. How can you mix the two up!"

Miyami paused for a moment and then pouted. "They sound the same. And you always talk so fast that no one can understand you. So I naturally assumed."

"Stop assuming, it's bad for you," Chaya told her, catching sight of her parents waiting at the other side of the large open hall. Judy was obviously pretending she didn't know who the two miscreants standing with each other at the other side were. Not that it would have really mattered considering how much like her mother Chaya looked.

"Dude…make sure to ask her where she shops, okay?"

"Why?" Chaya asked, finding this the strangest statement her friend had ever made.

"That's why." Miyami pointed towards the door where all the recently arrived passengers were coming out and Chaya glanced over in the same direction. Her jaw dropped.

The girl that just waltzed out of customs was not what she would have figured to be an exchange student, despite it being obvious who she was thanks to the rather large sign she had pinned to her chest with safety pins. It said 'Mizuhara family'. The girl herself was a sight to behold. She was Chaya's and Miyami's age with bright, naturally orange hair and wore rectangular shades. A black hooded sweatshirt with a pirate symbol covered her for the most part, and she wore a black watch kilt beneath that, one which had been modified with a slew of zippers and pins. Black and red striped stockings and red vans completed the ensemble.

Chaya numbly waved her over and the girl complied, looking around slowly as she did.

"Are you Chaya Mizuhara?" she asked in a loud, clear voice, a thick Austrian accent.

"Guilty," she nodded, and then frowned when she noticed Aurelia was looking her up and down, her shades slipping over her nose a little, showing off violet-eyed. Whether they were contacts or not, Chaya didn't ask. It took her a few seconds to realize that the girl before her was doing exactly what she had been doing mere moments before: sizing her up.

"You don't look Japanese," the girl said again, the word Japanese sounding more like "Tschepenese. Chaya smirked and crossed her arms over her white shirt that said 'Drop the chocolate and walk away.'

"My dad's dad was Japanese. The name stuck."

"Cool," came the response and the orange-haired girl finally looked back at her. "I just wasn't sure if I was confused or not. Usually when they send us on exchange, we get stuck with some boring family that eats with twenty million forks, six spoons and a knife."

Chaya and Miyami burst out laughing.

"That was exactly what we thought would be wrong with you," Miyami sniggered. "I'm Miyami Granger, by the way, I'm her best friend."

"Nice to meet you," Aurelia nodded, holding out her hand. She looked back at Chaya. "I'm supposed to tell you that it's an honour to stay in this wonderful establishment and attend your school, and then I'm supposed to find something to give to the principal for allowing me to attend the school. I really find all of that bullshit, but hey, beggars can't be choosers. You think you could tell me what to get him?"

"Yeah, a swift kick in the butt for hiring Ms. Clarkson," Chaya couldn't help grumbling, earning a light smack in the head from her mother who had appeared behind her, along with the rest of the family.

Chaya hated the way that wherever she went, people told her how much she looked like her mother. It was enough that she knew it, but to have people remark on it was just creepy. They shared the same blond hair and round face-shape, as well as the same lips and ears. Chaya had even inherited her mother's height, considering she was the same stature as she was. However, Chaya maintained, that's where the similarities stopped – or would stop if anyone but she noticed them. While her mother was thin, with voluminous hair and expressive blue eyes, Chaya had inherited the more full body from her father, as well as the thin hair and dark brown eyes .

At the moment her father's brown eyes were looking at Aurelia curiously. It was amusing that her parents looked much more apprehensive about the entire ordeal than Max did.

"Chaya, sweetie, who is this?" Judy asked, her voice polite curiosity. "A friend of yours?"

"Sort of," Chaya grinned. "This is Aurelia Delk. She's the girl that will be staying with us for a few weeks?"

Judy's smile didn't leave her face, but Chaya could have sworn that she saw her mother's eyes suddenly gleam with shock. She had been expecting a low-key, refined teenager. Not this…artistic monstrosity before them.

Chaya grinned. These next few weeks were definitely going to be interesting.

(-)

Miyami had already been dropped off at her house and Chaya's family and Aurelia had arrived at home without much of an incident. Except for Aurelia's suitcase suddenly emitting loud cracks and pops as they drove away from the airport and them having to pull over to get the firecrackers that the girl had somehow smuggled through customs out of the bag. This was an amazing feat within itself considering how tight security was when going through US customs. Chaya made a mental note to ask the girl how she'd pulled it off.

Judy was in a bad mood for the rest of the evening, mumbling about having another juvenile delinquent under her roof.

The hobby-shop was closed for the day and Chaya's dad had given his assistant the day off. Everything was so unnaturally clean in the establishment, it looked as though a huge vacuum cleaner had been by and sucked the life out of everything. Chaya couldn't wait for the cleanliness to wear off and for things to go back to normal.

"Welcome to my home," Chaya said as she led Aurelia through the back door and up the stairs towards hers and Max's room. "This is the room we'll be sharing. Max usually sleeps here, but he's camping out in the basement for a while---not that he minds, that's where the computer and the TV are, but anyhow." She reached in and flicked on the light. "You get the top bunk."

She led the exchange student into her room. It was the only room in that house that remained in its natural glory---cataclysmic.

"Wow."

"What?" Chaya asked, turning around. She noticed that Aurelia was standing in the doorway, and awed look on her face as she looked around the room. She looked like a little kid that was at the zoo for the first time in her life.

"Wow."

"You said that already," Chaya said impatiently as Aurelia began to move cautiously through her room, trying her hardest not to disturb any part of the mess. "What are you doing?"

The orange-haired girl had just begun searching through a few discarded shirts and jackets on the floor, before looking up with a wry look on her face, "Checking for survivors. I think there might still be some alive in here."

"Ha ha, very funny," Chaya said sarcastically. Max appeared, lugging Aurelia's suitcase after him. It had a hole in the front where the firecrackers had blown through. As Aurelia reached out for it, he stared at her for a long moment.

"_Danke_, you're so sweet," she said to him, taking the bag and putting it down so as not to disturb any of the mess. It was almost as though Aurelia was afraid to make it any messier than it already was in that room. Chaya frowned, deciding she would need to lay down the ground rules soon.

Aurelia considering Max for a moment, and then reached out and patted him on the head. "You can go now."

Her brother narrowed his eyes at the newcomer and looked over to Chaya. Gesturing with his head in Aurelia's direction, he asked, "Is she evil?"

"Evil?" the Austrian blinked, obviously not understanding what he was going on about.

"The last person that dressed like you do was evil," Max said, sounding suspicious. It took a few seconds for it to sink in that Max was talking about Chaya's best friend Mariam from in New York. He did have a point about the evil comment. Mariam had been evil and conniving towards anyone of the opposite sex. It had been a little scary, really. But she'd always been a fun person to hang out with… "And I make a rule not to trust people with that many zippers."

"Uh…no, I'm not evil," Aurelia frowned, shaking her head at Max. "But_ I_ make a rule of boiling up pretty blond boys who annoy me and turning them into soup. Or ointment. Pretty blond boys are good for the skin."

Max gaped and the serious expression on the Austrian girl's face, and Chaya laughed loudly. "She's joking, Maxie."

"Don't worry, it doesn't happen often," Aurelia assured him. Max narrowed his eyes, and then stepped back, almost completely out of the room.

He exchanged glances with his sister, and then asked again, "Is she evil?"

"Not in the big picture, no."

"Okay, just checking," Max said, before turning to leave. "Just wanted to make sure we were housing a hardened homicidal maniac under our roof."

And he was gone again, leaving Aurelia as the confused one now. "Alright. He was joking, right? You don't usually let criminals into your home?"

"No one but the one you're looking at," Chaya said as she sat back on the lower half of the bunk bed.

"Hm. Fine by me," Aurelia smirked. "Got any good CD's?"

"Check over there," Chaya replied, turning onto her stomach and picking up her notebook from earlier. There were little doodles all over what was supposed to be her history essay. She and Miyami hadn't been able to concentrate earlier

The two girls loitered in Chaya's room for a while, talking with each other once in a while. The conversations were not as interesting as the one that had taken place with Max, but that was more for the benefit of them not know who the other person was. They exchanged information and backgrounds, half in English, half in German, which Chaya didn't mind one bit. It allowed her to work on her language skills.

Aurelia lived with her grandmother, who insisted people call her Gammy instead of Oma or Frau Delk, and her brother Mikel who was a year younger than her. She had a slew of pets which she was already missing and a grouped of friends that she intended to email as soon as she got to a computer. Chaya questioned her about all the places she hung out in back home in Graz and what sights there were to see. Aurelia seemed to find this strange, and then told her that no one ever asked her questions like this. They always wanted to know the stupid things like 'do you have reality TV in Austria?'.

"Haven't you already realized that I'm not the average schmuck?"

"Well…the blond hair's a little bit – "

"Okay, shut up about the hair!" Chaya yelled, half-aggravated, half-amused.

Aurelia grinned, and then shrugged. "So…what should I know about my new school?"

"Well, other than Clarkson bellowing at us so much that we have an exchange student coming and that the students now fear the name Aurelia Delk…nothing really."

"I see. Well, fear can be a good think," Aurelia said, looking around the room. She spotted the trinkets and papers on the desk, the mess not even limited to the elevated area. She gestured at them. "May I?"

"Sure. Just don't touch the stuff in the last drawer, as it's Miyami's for when she's over here."

"She has her own drawer…?"

"It was just easier than her lugging things over to my house practically every weekend," Chaya shrugged. "I've got one over at her house too."

"What's this?" Aurelia held up a paper that had been crossed-out, erased and rewritten so many times that the page was more of a torn and tattered rag than an actual paper. "It _looks_ like a list, but it could also be one of the Dead Sea Scrolls."

"Hah, hah," Chaya drawled, swiping the paper and looking it over. A list entitled 'Plans of Doom' looked back at her. She had made this in the beginning of everything when she had actually needed good ideas for the pranks she played on Hiwatari. It was old, and she had laugh at some of her ideas. Most of them had to do with glue. 'Man I had a one track mind…' "This is what I used to get ideas to get back at Hiwatari."

"Who?"

"The guy that has been plaguing me since I enrolled in Bethany High."

"Oh…old boyfriend?"

"Are you nuts?" Chaya demanded, looking utterly repulsed at even entertaining the thought. "He's the biggest asshole in school and he keeps getting me in trouble and crap like that and he always gets off with it because his grandfather is the former ambassador from Russia and can pay off whatever damage he wreaks! And me, being the wonderful, never give up person I am, I don't take that!"

Aurelia raised an eyebrow, and then looked at the list. "I take it he's winning. These ideas are old. And lame."

"Okay, these are old ideas that already happened like a month ago," Chaya moaned. "I _know_ they're bad, but it's all in the past, okay? Next topic…"

"Oh-kay," Aurelia nodded. "So what do you do for fun here?"

"Rollerblade, listen to music and mostly hang out with my friends."

"These them?"

Aurelia was now looking at a snapshot Chaya had hung on the wall near the window. It depicted Rei, Miyami, Haley, Jennifer, Johnny, Flash, Iris and Chaya all sitting at the skate park. Rei, Miyami, Haley and Kevin were all decked out in helmets and held their skateboards in hand, while Chaya was only wearing her rollerblade, grasping Johnny's neck in a mock-death grip. Jennifer stood by, the only one not dressed in cut-offs and really casual clothes, but she was laughing more than usual, her hand intertwined with Haley. Flash was in the act of rolling his eyes at something Iris had said, and the Italian girl's mouth was open, an intent look on her face as she partook in her favourite past-time – debating.

"Yep."

"_Ausgezeichnet_."

"Thanks."

Aurelia sat back on what might have once been a bean-bag chair, but what was now so covered in clothes it looked like a laundry party gone wrong. Chaya watched her take out a pair of drumsticks, tapping them unconsciously over the clothes.

"You play?" Chaya asked, gesturing at the drumsticks.

"A little."

"Well, if you want to know, we have a very disused drum-set at school that only ever gets attention from Tyson---when he's not going after girls, which happens never…"

"Good," Aurelia nodded. "And what about you? Do you do anything musical?"

"Not really," Chaya shrugged. "I used to take piano lessons, but I found them so boring…now I just sing off-key and write angry chick music. You can check out all my additions to the music world that will never be entered in that box over there."

The box was the only thing that seemed neat and tidy in the room.

"You're a very open person," Aurelia commented. "Most of de people I'm friends with won't let me see anything they write or draw. It's like they are ashamed of it all."

There was a silence in the room, interrupted only by the lyrics of AFI's _Girl's Not Grey _as Aurelia poured over some of the works from Chaya.

"Girls, dinner!" Chaya's dad called, and Chaya jumped up.

"Come on, he made his specialty!"

"Which is?"

"Chicken à le Takato," Chaya grinned. Aurelia looked even more nunplussed.

"And that would be…?"

"Chicken!" Chaya grinned, pulling Aurelia away from the mess of the room and returning to the clean depths of the house. "It happens a lot around here. The name 'Mizuhara' causes fear and trembling in the chicken world – hence why Yami doesn't stay for dinner a lot. She has this thing about chickens…"

* * *

>0 

Another revampment. Not too happy with this one, but meh. I'll live.

TBC

Kuri


	14. Between a Rock and a Hard Place

**_Drowning In The Clouds_**

_Author:_ KuriQuinn

_Title:_ Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom:_ Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer: _I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all

_Fanfiction Disclaimer:_ Chaya is my own creation, as is Haley, Jennifer, Claire and anyone else that you don't recognize. Miyami Kinomiya belongs to Mags, my best friend. Aurelia Delk belongs to Band-Freak aka Lobo-Chan. And that is all for now...Flash Jameson belongs to Flash, IrisMessana belongs to Iz

_Rating:_ R for language, mature themes and possible violence in later chapters

_Pairing:_ Figure it out.

_Takes-Place:_ Alternate Universe

_Summary:_ Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

* * *

>0 

**Chapter Thirteen: Between a Rock and a Hard Place **

Beginning school the following Monday was an interesting adventure, Chaya thought as she walked to school with Aurelia and her brother. For the first time in a month Chaya had actually managed to get up at a decent time and be out the door before panic had to set in. Of course, this was thanks to Aurelia setting the alarm clock extra early so that she could get over her jet-lag. She didn't want to screw up her sleeping pattern worse than it already was which was why she had only allowed herself about four hours of sleep the night before.

That morning Chaya had had to take the time to explain to Aurelia the rules around the school (more specifically, those that could be broken) and assured her that she didn't think anyone would mind if Aurelia dressed out of the dress-code, considering everyone did it anyhow. Clarkson's reach only went so far, and those that could easily avoid her were at the top of the game.

Half-way to school, Chaya and Max began to bicker over whether they should take the bus or not and Aurelia ended up asking them a slew of questions about what it was like to be twins. The two of them exchanged glances and Chaya inwardly moaned. She hated getting these questions, but they were inevitable…

"I don't think I could stand it," the orange haired girl remarked. "It must be really annoying to have to share your birthday with someone."

"Technically we don't," Chaya replied, remaining patient as she explained the circumstances of her birth yet again. "You see, Maxie and I were born three minutes apart – he was born at eleven fifty-eight on January nineteenth and I was born at twelve-oh-one the next day. Sweet deal, isn't it? We get separate birthdays."

"That is pretty cool," Aurelia admitted. "So I guess that makes you the baby of the family?"

"And what a baby she is," Max teased good-naturedly.

Chaya frowned. "Don't you have any friends you could walk to school with?"

"Yeah, but don't worry. They'll think I'm cool, stylin with my famous little sister." He noticed the glare being directed at him. "Oh, are you worried that one of the cool kids will see us together and think you're a loser because you hang out with family? Oh, wait a minute, you don't care what the cool kids think…"

"And ironically I still think you're cramping my style."

"Oh, ouch, low blow, little sister…"

She brandished her fist at her brother. "If you don't cool it with the 'little' comments, you're going to be getting one tall order of pain."

Max coughed, and then casually ran a hand through his wavy blond hair, obviously recognizing that as a hint to change the subject. Aurelia seemed to also catch on to this little piece of information, because she reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper that looked as though it had been folded and unfolded repeatedly in the past few hours. "They sent me this a while back. Do you know where I'm supposed to go for the first class?"

Chaya reached over and plucked the paper from her, squinting at all the small letters that told her where all the classes were and what teachers taught them. She was grateful to see that Aurelia's schedule was practically exactly the same as her own save for the French and Spanish electives. "First period's history. And we've both got Riley. This'll be good." She paused, before studying the schedule again. "Wait, who've you got for math?"

"Giles," Aurelia said immediately, obviously having memorized her schedule already.

Chaya's grin was slightly disconcerting to the other two teenagers. "This is _definitely _going to be good."

(-)

"Chaya, _dahling_!" there was a loud, over-dramatic yell across the pavement as Chaya, Max and Aurelia appeared in the schoolyard and Chaya glanced up to see Johnny hurtling towards them, followed by the rest of the crew. Max veered off to the left, mumbling loudly about having spotted Tyson and before Chaya could make a similar excuse, Johnny had appeared before her and Aurelia, picked Chaya up and begun to twirl her around. "I've missed you soooooo much!"

"Ahhh!" she yelled laughingly, pounding on his back and shoulders for him to put her down. "Let go of me, spaz! Why are you in such a good mood?"

"My dad bought me a – whoa, who are you?"

"A 'whoa who are you?'" Chaya repeated with a smirk as Johnny abruptly put her down, practically dropping her onto the hard asphalt. "Not sure I want one of those…" Johnny didn't reply. "Johnny?"

But it was fruitless. Johnny was gaping at Aurelia, his eyes wide as they roved over her form. His entire frame seemed to go slack as he stared, and Chaya was slightly amused. No one had ever seen Johnny pause for a breath or stop talking completely the way he was doing now. From behind him, Miyami and Flash were sending her confounded looks which she could only return.

Aurelia seemed puzzled by Johnny and finally reached out, waving her hand in front of his face as though to check if he was still living and not just pretending to be a mannequin.

Johnny finally moved, clasping Aurelia's outstretched hand and bowing low. "Enchantée, mademoiselle!"

Everyone laughed, considering Johnny's French had never exactly been worth writing home over. He was being overly obvious in his attempts to charm the Austrian girl, and all that was coming out of it was them hearing something along the lines of 'Bon McJour'. Johnny had always been more inclined toward slipping into a Scottish accent when he attempted foreign languages. Nobody knew why, exactly, but it was always entertaining.

Aurelia, on the other hand, didn't laugh but raised an eyebrow at him, then at Chaya. The blond girl shrugged in reply.

"Ist da etwas falsch in seinem Kopf?" she asked Chaya, wondering quite plainly if there was something wrong with Johnny's head. Chaya didn't know how to reply to that without laughing.

"Nein, er war so seit das Moment denn ich ihm gekonnt habe," she finally managed. Aurelia looked at Johnny again, less frightened then before.

"Ah."

"Yeah, I totally agree," Johnny said loudly and laughing, as though he understood everything. He leaned on Chaya's shoulder, trying desperately to be included in the conversation. Aurelia and Chaya exchanged amused glances.

The bell rang loudly, signifying the beginning of homeroom. The large group slowly began to inch towards the entrance of the building. Miyami and Flash began to asked Aurelia immediately all of the usual questioned and Chaya turned back to Johnny, who was still ogling Aurelia.

"So, McGregor, what did your dad buy you?" He didn't reply, and after repeating his name another few times, Chaya reached over and swatted him. "Yo! Pay attention to me!"

"Huh, ow, hey!" the redhead glared angrily over at her. "What was that for?"

"Not paying attention to me," Chaya replied simply. "Now answer. I wanna know what your dad bought you."

"A car…" Johnny said, his tone different from what it was before. It seemed that getting a car bought for him wasn't as exciting as this girl that had walked to school with Chaya. The blond girl was extremely amused by this fact.

"What kind?"

"Oh…uh, Jetta."

"A _Jetta_?" Chaya repeated, scrunching up her nose. "Those are the most annoying cars in the world. They're small and they smell weird and they have those stupid lock knobs that you can't unlock if your brother decides to lock you out of the car."

"I think that's the anti-theft part of them," Flash dead-panned silently behind her and she jumped. She tended to forget that Flash was around. He was always so quiet.

"Ten bucks your first car's going to be a Jetta," Johnny told her grimly. "Because you'll take anything you can get."

"Anything but a Jetta," Chaya shrugged. "See, I'll be making less then subtle hints to my dad as to what I want."

"You're a car snob," Johnny accused as they pushed through the entrance doors and started down the packed hallways. Students cast interested looks over at Aurelia, wondering who this new person walking through their school with the Mizuhara girl was.

"Yeah? Well if that's the only thing that's wrong with me, then you shouldn't be complaining."

"You're impossible…"

"So, Aurelia, I take you now know everyone?" Chaya said loudly, deciding she didn't feel like arguing with Johnny any more. Wasn't there a rule somewhere about arguing with stupid people and them beating you with experience? She didn't feel like going through that at the moment.

Aurelia nodded and said, "Yeah. And the scary things is, you're all like my friends back home. It's actually kind of scary."

"Miss Mizuhara…"

The abrupt sound of her name, although practically whispered, was loud and jolted her sharply, especially in the familiarity of the voice. Shocked, Chaya whirled around and immediately cried, "I didn't do it, I saw nothing and I don't know!"

Clarkson stood behind them, drawn and dressed up in the most moth-eaten skirt and blazer Chaya had seen on the woman to date. Her arms were crossed as she tried to pose impressively in the school setting and her smile was so fake Chaya wondered if she had used some kind of plastic to shape it. Her eyes lingered on Chaya for a long moment. "Preemptive ignorance, Miss Mizuhara, I haven't yet asked anything of you."

Chaya held back a 'but you're going to' and looked back at Aurelia. The violet-eyed girl stood behind her, looking at the large woman in confusion.

Clarkson strode forward, pretending that she hadn't even seen Chaya and wrenched Aurelia's hand into a painful handshake. "Miss Delk, how wonderful to see that you arrived safely." Her tone suggested that she was not impressed with the appearance of the exchange student. Chaya wanted to laugh at this. "I am Rosann Clarkson, the vice principal of this school."

"Nice to meet you," Aurelia answered, biting her lips to keep from laughing.

Clarkson let out a loud, fake exclamation, "Oh, your English is wonderful. I didn't know that you were so well spoken in English."

"Well, it's hard, considering we only ever have the missionaries come in on Sundays," Aurelia replied with a straight face. Chaya was sure she must be gritting her teeth to keep back a snide remark. "They have to cram all of our sessions into one day, and they also teach us religion so we don't remain godless heathens."

Miyami and the others cracked up, while Clarkson's lips tightened and her beady eyes swiveled around to pick Chaya out of the group. Her face promised trouble and Chaya immediately shut up, even though she knew there was no point. She foresaw being in trouble again…

"Miss Delk, I swill send for you later for a private little chat about your old school and a few of the activities offered here," Clarkson said, fake smile on her face again with a vengeance. She didn't look at anyone else as she turned to leave, although she said in a slightly less friendly voice, "Miss Mizuhara, in my office. Now please."

"But I have to show her –"

"Mr. McGregor can show her around. Can't you, Mr. McGregor?"

"Sure," Johnny shrugged, trying to sound offhand but looking more pleased to be showing Aurelia around then doing anything else.

"Good. Now go."

Chaya watched with a sinking heart as the last remnant if her freedom hurried off, all of her friends sending her sympathetic glances. All of them save for Aurelia looked too used to this sort of behavior to even bother trying to get her off the hook. Despite being angry, Chaya was sure if she were in their place, she would probably be doing the exact same thing.

Looking up, her stomach sank when she saw Clarkson's broad, dangerous smile that meant certain torture for her if she didn't do exactly as she was told. "Shall we?"

'Do I even have a choice?" Chaya wanted to ask, but ended up just nodding numbly and letting Clarkson lead her down the crowded hall, into the administrative area and towards her ugly, cramped purple office. Something told Chaya that she was going to be late for her homeroom class. It was just a hypothesis, but going by her track record, it was more plausible than not.

Passing the door to the office, Chaya frowned at the name plaque with Clarkson's name on it. Honestly, with the amount of times she had been into Clarkson's office, she was surprised the thing didn't say 'Rosann Clarkson and Chaya Mizuhara'. It would have been more politically correct, anyhow. And Clarkson was just _full_ of correctness…

Clarkson's office seemed darker and more sinister than usual as Chaya took a seat on the leather couch from hell. Clarkson slowly stalked forward and sat down at her desk, quiet. She folded her hands on her desk and looked over at Chaya, resembling the pictures of the Spanish Inquisition Chaya had seen in her history textbooks.

"Well, well, well…"

"Well what?" Chaya asked, unable to resist. She wanted to smack herself in the head a second later when she received a quelling look from Clarkson.

"What are you playing at, Chaya-Amelia?"

Now this confused her.

"Uh…nothing?" she attempted, knowing full well that the vice principal was about to tell her exactly what she was attempting. It was always like that. Clarkson was convinced that she knew Chaya's movements better than she herself did only because she had been her age before.

"Nothing? Nothing! _That_ wasn't nothing!"

"What wasn't nothing?"

For once, Chaya was actually completely at sea as to what her vice principal wanted her to say. She hadn't done anything wrong yet, she was wearing the dress code, she wasn't in her rollerblades, her homework was finished and she was showing around her exchange student. What was going on?

"You turned a respectable student…into a walking felony!"

The accusation hung in the stale air for a full thirty seconds, before Chaya let out a noise between a laugh and a choke. "Who, Aurelia?" She laughed again. "Sorry to burst your bubble, lady, but she came like that on her own. I had no hand in it."

"Don't be smart with me, Chaya-Amelia, I know that that hideousness you call a shirt that was on her back belongs to you – Lord knows I've seen it enough you," Clarkson snapped furiously. "And I'm going to say this…before you can do anymore damage, I want you to keep that girl in better company than you usually hold."

"Whoa, whoa, stop the presses," Chaya interrupted, eliciting an annoyed grunt from Clarkson. She raised her hand as though to physically stop something. "Are you trying to tell me that the entire time that Aurelia's here, I'm not allowed to hang out with my friends?"

"In fewer words than that, yes," Clarkson said, her nostrils flaring. "I don't want the poor girl to gain a false sense of American life. Hang around with people of…nobler taste so that she can slip back into her old groove. I don't want her to think that the only type of person we raise here are hooligans."

Chaya couldn't think of anything to do but stare for an entire minute. This…this…_dumpling w_anted her to ditch her friends just because she wanted her to put on a good face for Aurelia, who didn't even care who she hung out with anyway? Was this woman blind, or just senile? Aurelia had already told them exactly how comfortable she was hanging out with their little group, considering how much like home it was.

Face drawn into a serious expression, Chaya slowly stood up and leaned over the desk, dawning a look that clearlt said 'read my lips'.

"A word of advice, Miss Clarkson," she said carefully, leaning over and grabbing a pink detention slip from the desk. She quickly wrote something down and held it out for Ms. Clarkson to sign. "You're an idiot."

Clarkson sputtered and practically grabbed the pink-slip from Chaya, signed it and flung it back into her face, her eyes promising dire retribution for her actions. Chaya shrugged and slumped through the door, glancing at the detention slip in her hands with a smirk.

'Reason for detention: giving a teacher attitude.'

* * *

>0 

YES, IT'S A PRETTY SHORT CHAPTER, BUT YOU'LL ALL GET OVER IT. YOU GUYS HAVE PROBABLY NOTICED THAT I GOT RID OF THE OVER OBVIOUS ACCENT THAT AURELIA HAD AND THAT I'VE MADE HER NAME SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT. THAT'S BECAUSE IT WAS JUST EASIER AND I DIDN'T LIKE THE BAD SPELLING.

Ciaoza,

Kuriness


	15. Pizza Pocket Mess

_**Drowning In The Clouds**_

_Author:_ KuriQuinn

_Title:_ Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom:_ Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer: _I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all

_Fanfiction Disclaimer:_ Chaya is my own creation, as is Haley, Jennifer, Claire and anyone else that you don't recognize. Miyami Kinomiya belongs to Mags, my best friend. Aurelia Delk belongs to Band-Freak aka Lobo-Chan. And that is all for now...Flash Jameson belongs to Flash, IrisMessana belongs to Iz

_Rating:_ R for language, mature themes and possible violence in later chapters

_Pairing:_ Figure it out.

_Takes-Place:_ Alternate Universe

_Summary:_ Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

**

* * *

**

>0

**Chapter Fourteen: Pizza-Pocket-Mess **

"And this is hell," Chaya droned as she concluded the part of the tour that Johnny had left out. She had decided to introduce Aurelia to the math classroom last, considering that's where they had their next subject. They were the first ones there at the moment and for once the place was empty and silent. Aurelia looked around the place with a look of complete boredom on her face, one that Chaya could understand extremely well. "It's where we spend infinite hours of our day sitting in uncomfortable chairs staring at the ugly mug of some wannabe math teacher."

Chaya had joined up with her friends mere minutes after leaving Ms. Clarkson's room, gaining an unimpressed look from the secretary in the process. Johnny had been trying to trick Aurelia into the hall-closet on the second floor when she had arrived and she'd only just managed to save to foreign girl moments before the door closed. Johnny had been lucky enough to escape with only a severely bruised shoulder…

"Very cozy," Aurelia said, nodding as though the class had passed inspection even though both of them exactly how interesting the math room really was. She still looked a little annoyed about Clarkson's idea to have Johnny show her around. Chaya hoped that annoyance could be used in later times…

"We usually have homeroom first," Chaya continued. "That's where you'd get introduced and stuff…anyway; it's a Tuesday schedule today, so you have to wait until tomorrow…that seat over there with the burn-marks is mine…it's a little reminder of a prank Hiwatari pulled on me, stupid jerk…"

"And who sits near you?"

"Well, Jen sits in front---I'll introduce you two later---Tala Ivanov, Hiwatari's jerk-wad friend sits next to me…and that's your seat."

"Uh-huh," Aurelia nodded, sitting down in the chair to Chaya's right. "Who really sits here?"

"No one…just some girl I stuck in a sarcophagus once," Chaya grinned, not able to help it. It had been an extremely amusing incident, when you looked at it without the legal complications... "She's a nuthead anyway, so don't mind her."

"I see," Aurelia nodded.

It was another ten minutes before the class began to pile into the room and the once silent room became extremely noisy, returning to it's natural habitat. Jennifer arrived after a while with Haley hanging off of her, begging about something along the lines of food or money – no one was really sure, considering her face was buried in Jennifer's shoulder as she tried to hang off of her.

Aurelia opened her mouth to comment, but Chaya shook her head. "It's best not to bug her when she's in full-leech mode. Jen should get tired of it in about three, two, one – "

"Haley, get off me and go to class before you get another detention," Jennifer ordered loudly, prodding the bluenette angrily. Haley jolted into a standing position, pouted at her and crossed her arms.

"Nobody loves me," she grumbled. "All I needed was a pencil, but noooooo…" She grumbled and began to leave. "I think I'll go ask Flash, considering you're being so mean."

"Oh stop whining," the redheaded girl ordered, a serious expression on her face. "Go to _class_!"

Haley stuck out her tongue. "Yes _mother_."

Jennifer bristled. "Call me that again and you'll be needing your mother. Now scram."

With one last annoyed look, Haley slumped out of the classroom. Aurelia looked mildly impressed. "I think I know who wears the pants in your relationship."

Jennifer turned pink. "Oh…uh…well…you see…we're not…"

Whatever Jennifer was trying to say was interrupted when the door slammed into the wall with the arrival of Hiwatari, Ivanov and yet another girl, this time a redhead, that was hanging off of the slate-haired teenager in an over-exaggerated manner. It was old news that he and Hillary had long since broken up – apparently, two weeks was the longest Hiwatari could stay attached to one girl. And no one was even sure about that number.

"Oh look, my favorite idiot's finally arrived," Chaya commented loudly upon their entrance. Hiwatari stopped in his tracks, but barely spared her a look.

"What do you want now, Mizuhara? To bask in my light? You'll have to join the back of the line."

"And then you woke up and it was all a dream."

"Tsk-tsk," he tightened his grip on his girl-toy. "Isn't there a rule about treating your elders with respect?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Isn't there a law about keeping you away from sane people?"

Hiwatari snorted. "Five seconds. Last time it took you a good minute to get annoyed enough to insult me back." He pretend to consider something. "I'm disappointed. Your tolerance is wearing thin."

"Got a point or did you want to give me a seminar on my habits, considering you know them so well?"

The annoying senior didn't reply, but pulled his arm-warmer down onto his lap and proceeded to fool around with her, watching Chaya smugly the entire time. The blond girl averted her eyes in disgust. It happened like this every math period. They insulted each other and then he decided to play a disgusting game of tonsil hockey with whichever female was closest.

It had to be routine.

"Jesus, I am not going to be able to take this today," Chaya groaned, letting her head fall into her hands. "I do not want to see these jackasses."

"I thought you said they were juniors," Aurelia commented, confused, as she took her drumsticks out of her bag and beginning to fiddle with them, tapping a rhythm absently on the table.

"They are," Chaya shrugged, looking up. "It's just this class is advanced math for us and low for them. Basically, we're all learning the same course. We're geniuses, they're dopes."

"Are you sure you're not confusing us, Mizuhara?" someone asked and Chaya glared at Ivanov who was smirking at her comfortably from his chair.

"I'm pretty sure, you see, because unlike you morons, I actually have a brain cell in my head."

"Really?" Ivanov asked, grinning evilly. He reached over and put his hand over her head, making a motion with his fingers so that they were tapping her on the head. "So then, Know-it-all, if you're so smart, tell me what this is?"

"You're hand, dip-shit. And if it's not removed soon it will be stump."

"Wrong. It's a brain bug, starving."

Some of the other juniors in the class, and some of the sophomore began to laugh and a type of circle began to form around Chaya and the annoying redhead. She was slightly surprised that Ivanov was actually the one doing the talking this time around, considering it was usually Hiwatari that played the insult-game with her.

'I guess this means I'm getting used to this place,' she thought to herself and then allowed herself to send a smirk the junior's way. "Droll, Ivanov, very droll. Want me to get you some ice before your brain overheats from the pressure of coming up with that?"

This time the freshman began laughing. He smirked, but his blue eyes remained cold. He suddenly seemed to notice Aurelia sitting by Chaya's other side. "Oh look, it's another treasure-troll look-a-like. Who the hell are you?"

"I'm your worst nightmare," Aurelia said easily, obviously sensing bad vibes off of the tall redhead. "Now walk away before these drumsticks find themselves up your ass – I warn you, I'm a professional. I won't miss."

"You talk pretty big, kiddo," Hiwatari's voice said, standing up and pulling the girl with him. Chaya felt the urge to smack the guy. Why was it that he always got away with treating girls like they were objects? Other than the over obvious fact that he picked the less intelligent ones that would let him do that... "Can you back it up?"

Chaya watched Aurelia look at Kai, then the girl, before putting her drumsticks before her in the sign of a cross and hissing. "Oh dear God, get it away, it's hideous," she moaned.

Chaya couldn't help laughing. Aurelia sounded so serious.

"You know?" she said, leaning her arm on Aurelia. "I think that's the truest thing I've heard all day, wouldn't you agree Hiwatari?"

The nameless girl was seething and waiting for Hiwatari to defend her, but instead a smirk appeared on his face. He pretended to look the girl up and down, before doing the same to Chaya before shrugging. "Well she's not much, but she's doing better than you."

Chaya's face burned at the comment.

"What makes you think I was talking about her?" Aurelia asked innocently.

Before Kai could reply, a dead silence filled the room, signifying the entrance of the teacher. The students all watched as Mrs. Giles waltzed into the classroom, carrying herself as though she was the queen or something. "Class, take your seats."

There was a hustle as all of the students scurried to their seats, sitting faced forwards towards the board. Giles moved to write something on the board, before she paused and looked at the class. Her snake-like face was pulled into a face of confusion and then resigned annoyance.

"Kai, if you're going to play with your girlfriend, do it somewhere else."

Hiwatari smirked. "Okay."

He stood up, pulling the redhead up with him and heading towards the classroom door, his intent obvious to even the most simple minded student there.

Giles went red in the face. "Not now!"

Kai merely shrugged suavely, but the girl looked thoroughly put out. They took their respective seats, while the amused laughter from their friends faded into the bathroom. Chaya could only shake her head again, knowing that deciding to comment on this topic would only be a waste of time. None of the teachers could control Hiwatari as it was…

There was a knock at the classroom door and it burst open, revealing Claire putting something back into her mini-purse. She smiled almost shyly at Mrs. Giles.

"I'm sorry I'm late, I was speaking with Vice-Principal Clarkson," she explained.

"Do you have a note?" Giles asked, giving Claire the poisonous look she gave to all her students when they were late or interrupted her class in any way.

"I didn't think I needed one."

"Well, in the future, remember that you do," Giles said. "Sit down."

Claire promptly walked across the floor and then stopped in front of the seat that Aurelia was sitting. The Austrian girl was looking up, intent on the teacher as she put the day's lesson heading on the board. Clair cleared her throat, her hands on her hips. No one seemed to notice, and Chaya grinned to herself as she made a show of trying to see behind Claire's head. Again, the brunette tried to get Aurelia's attention with a cough, but this didn't work. After a few seconds, she began to tap her foot loudly.

Chaya watched Aurelia's shoulders tense and when she looked up, the corner of her face that Chaya could see looked annoyed and force-friendly. "Can I help you?"

"You can start by getting out of my seat."

"I don't see your name on it."

Claire stared, obviously completely floored that someone like Aurelia was telling her quite plainly where to get off. She glared and loomed over the exchange student. "Who cares? You're in my seat. Get out of it."

"Hm. Uh… how about no?"

"Argh!" Claire snarled, her hands balling into fists.

"Girls; is there a problem?" Mrs. Giles asked, swooping forward and wrinkling her nose at them, obviously daring them to say that they had a problem.

"Yes," Claire said in the whiny voice she always used to get her way from teachers. "This is _my_ seat."

"Oh, but I was told to sit next to my host," Aurelia interrupted smoothly, donning an innocent, wide-eyed look. "Being an exchange student and all…"

There was a pregnant pause.

"Ah, so you're the one I was told about," Mrs. Giles nodded, immediately looking perked up. Almost as though now that there was someone not used to her that she had to perk up and act like a normal human being. "Very well, Claire, there's an empty seat in the back. You can sit there for the duration of – what did you say your name was?"

"I didn't. It's Aurelia."

"– for the duration of Aurelia's stay."

"But---"

"Now, Miss Marchand, I would like to begin today's lesson."

Claire mouthed angrily and stalked into the back row, slamming her books nosily down on her desk as she did so. Chaya and Aurelia exchanged knowing grins, before turning back to the front and waiting for Mrs. Giles to tell them what their next objective was.

"Now that that's over with, take out the homework I gave you over the weekend," the teacher ordered. While the class erupted into a series of paper rustlings and whispers as people tried in vain to continue their conversations from the time before the teacher had walked into the room. Chaya tensed, looking around nervously.

She felt as though the wind had been taken from her sails or like she had been punched in the stomach. Leaning forward so that her mouth was near Jennifer's ear, she murmured, "What homework?"

Jennifer shook her head and Chaya could picture the amusement in her face. "You're going to get in serious trouble one day."

"Unh," Chaya moaned, letting her head fall onto her desk in frustration. She heard Ivanov snigger in his place near her.

"Could be worse," Jennifer tried to console her as she turned around to get the homework papers that the people sitting in back of Chaya were handing forward. "You could be Johnny."

Chaya cracked an eye open, straining to meet Jennifer's gaze and sighed. "The sad thing is that you have a point there."

"Think of a distraction or something," Aurelia suggested.

"Like what? Dancing the chicken-dance?"

The two girls in front of her exchanged looks, and then turned back to her with looks that told her they were seriously considering what she had just said."

"Oh no…"

(-)

Chaya groaned as she pushed the mop across the floor.

"Now you know why it ticks me off that you kids don't clean up after yourselves," Jackson said in satisfaction as he sat back on a chair and watched Chaya attempt to mop the cafeteria floor. He had a paperback novel in hand and was sipping a can of iced tea as he watched her work. "It's back-breaking hard work. So what was it this time?"

"Well, I'm not sure, seeing as I get a detention every day," Chaya trailed off, wiping some sweat off of her face, and propping herself up on the mop "but I think this one is for telling Ms. Clarkson that she was an idiot. And then tomorrow I'm serving one for disrupting math class and dancing on a desk."

Jackson raised an eyebrow at her. "You forgot your homework again, didn't you?"

Chaya brandished the cleaning instrument, it's rounded side pointing at the old man. "This mop is on a one way flight up your butt, you do know that, right?"

"Is this detention?"

Chaya and Jackson looked up to see Aurelia come into the room, pink slip in hand and a wide grin on her face. Her left hand was hidden from view for some reason.

"Welcome," Chaya said in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"I glued someone to a chair," the Austrian said cheerfully. "That redheaded jerk…what's his name? Ivanov?"

"Nice," Chaya grinned.

"Yeah, it was," the girl replied, before bringing her hand out from behind her. It nearly dropped to the floor heavily, her sleeve attached to one of the small drawers that were part of the teachers' desks. "Until I accidentally glued myself to this."

Chaya couldn't help it.

She burst out laughing.

And nearly got hit with the drawer.

* * *

>0 

SO AURELIA ISN'T EXACTLY THE MODEL STUDENT TO BE ON EXCHANGE, HUH? OH WELL, AT LEAST WE HAVE ANOTHER RULEBREAKER TO ADD!

Thank god for AFI…

REVIEWKQ!


	16. Spawn of the Devil

**_Drowning In The Clouds_**

_Author:_ KuriQuinn

_Title:_ Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom:_ Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all

_Fanfiction Disclaimer:_ Chaya is my own creation, as is Haley, Jennifer, Claire and anyone else that you don't recognize. Miyami Kinomiya belongs to Mags, my best friend. Aurelia Delk belongs to Band-Freak aka Lobo-Chan. And that is all for now...Flash Jameson belongs to Flash, IrisMessana belongs to Iz

_Rating:_ R for language, mature themes and possible violence in later chapters

_Pairing:_ Figure it out.

_Takes-Place:_ Alternate Universe

_Summary:_ Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

* * *

>0

**Chapter Fifteen: Spawn of the Devil **

It all started with Ray.

He had cornered her by her locker after she got out of volleyball, something she had been partial mortified about considering her current state of disorder. Her face was flushed and she still wore her gym clothes, while she searched quickly through her bag for her everyday wear and toiletries. She hadn't even noticed that he was there until she had looked up and seen the Chinese boy's grinning face looming over her.

And she had screamed.

"Chill out," the junior laughed, allowing her to catch her breath again. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"If you can define ghost as five-foot-eight Chinese teenager with freaky amber eyes and an affinity for sneaking up on people, then yes, I have seen one," she replied. Ray laughed loudly again and reached up to lean on the locker next to hers. As she continued looking through her bag, she noticed out of the corner of her eye as his wavy hair fell into his eyes and the slight, easy-going grin that played on his lips.

'Damn it!' she thought angrily. 'Stop gawking at him, idiot! First of all he's taken, second of all he's your friend and third of all he's a player! Get a grip!'

"Hey, uh, can I ask you something?"

She would have jumped if her head hadn't been in a locker. His voice was soft, almost doubtful. Was it just her imagination or was Ray nervous? 'No way! He's never nervous. This is Ray Kon. It practically translates into 'never nervous'.

But a small little figure that decided to call itself 'hope' had already sprung up inside her. Hope for what exactly she wasn't sure, but one particular version had Ray extending an invitation to her to go to a movie or dinner or something sappy along those lines.

"It's about tomorrow night. I was wondering…" Chaya looked up now, meeting Ray's eyes and smiling slightly. He grinned down at her and cleared his throat. "I was wondering if you could baby-sit my little sister."

Chaya felt her heart plummet. She mentally shot a rubber band at 'hope' and it ran away yelping.

"Say what now?"

Ray rolled his eyes. "Are you even listening to me?"

"No, I'm looking at you," Chaya said truthfully, and seconds later turned red. She really hoped Ray hadn't picked up on that, even though it had been over obvious. She studied Ray's expression but he was sending her an unimpressed look that was probably coupled with her comment. Thankfully, it seemed, Ray was denser than Miyami was sometimes.

"Very funny, Chays," Ray grumbled. "I need you to baby-sit my little sister tomorrow night."

Chaya sent him a sarcastic look. "But that's Friday."

"Uh…yeah. My parents are going out."

"We get out of school, the week-end starts, we don't have to see teachers and are free –"

"I'm so glad you know the days of the week," Ray deadpanned.

"What makes you think I could do this? I might have a game or something."

"I asked Mr. Winters. You don't have one tomorrow so don't try telling me you do. So, can you babysit?"

"She's your sister."

"Your point being?"

Chaya really didn't want to know the reason Ray wanted her to babysit his sister. But still, against all logic and every smart brain cell the Supreme Being had been stupid enough to give her, Chaya asked, "Why should I watch her when you can?"

"Because Mariah and I are going out."

Chaya winced, and then straightened up, crossing her arms to show her annoyance. "Ah, so the plot thickens. So, you want me to give up my plans for Friday night just so that you can go out and have a life…"

"Um…yeah."

"And why in hell's name would I do that?"

"Because you're one of my best friends, because my parents pay three times the amount any other people in the neighbourhood do and because your idea of plans on a Friday night is sitting at your computer playing _The Sims_."

Chaya's face twitched. "Well sure it sounds stupid when you say it like _that_!"

Ray sent her an unimpressed look. "Please?"

He was sending her one of his powerful puppy-dog looks, the kind that were so wide-eyed and innocent looking at even Chaya, as hard-hearted and immune to any faces of innocent cuteness as she was, had to give in. It was just…it was Ray! Saying no to Ray was like saying no to chocolate, only with less beneficial results.

She sighed. "This must be some sort of karmic justice from my past life," she groaned sullenly. "I must have put baby bunnies in blenders and put them in baby formula."

Ray sent her an extremely frightened look. "Chays, that image is very…disgusting. So, can you do it?"

"Wow, I use an evil-bunny-hostile comment like that in a sentence and you still ask me to baby-sit your sister? Either you don't like her or you _really_ need me badly," the blond smirked.

Ray grinned back. "I take that as an 'I'll do it' then."

"Hold up," Chaya waved her hands quickly and took on a distant expression. "I expect an additional crate of pocky and ten bucks of your pocket money along with what your parents will be paying me."

Ray looked resigned, but nodded. "Sure."

Chaya blinked, surprised that he had gone along with this new arrangement. Most people she knew would get the hint that she really didn't want to be taking this job, but Ray seemed to be taking everything she threw at him in stride. "Damn, I should have asked for two crates…"

The next evening, Chaya wandered up North Asbury Avenue, staring in awe at the many large, aristocratic looking houses that lined the sides of the street. She had always known that Ray's family was wealthy and his party had convinced her even more so. But seeing all these artistic homes of grand designed really drove the point home.

She tugged nervously at her shirt, which said 'Chocolate Addict' on it in big, plaid letters that she had cut out herself. She suddenly felt severely underdressed to even be walking in this neighbourhood, let alone going into one of the houses.

Aurelia had opted to stay home and try to beat Max's score in Unreal Tournament, something Chaya wouldn't have minded attempting either. She really, really didn't want to have to go and baby-sit Ray's sister while Ray went out on a date with his girlfriend. It seemed to defeat the whole purpose of everything! And besides, with all of the money that Ray's parents had, why couldn't they just hire a nanny or babysitter from a service?

'This blows,' she though grimly, looking down at her hand where she had written the address Ray had given her. Three-eight-oh-seven…that was the house right in front of her; she looked up and for a moment just stood there in awe.

The house – no, mansion – was surrounded by a wrought iron gate that had shrubs and other greenery weaved through it to keep the privacy. The home itself was three floors high, including a small tower-like room that Chaya was sure had to be the attack. The double-door entry to the house was heavy and looked to be made out of metal and oak, or something equally grand as that. Muslin curtains hung in the windows and the exterior was well up kept with nary a splinter out of place in the window frames or panels. A balcony reached out over the entrance way, so wide that it had to be supported by two thick yet elegant columns.

Her initial bout of surprise having passed, Chaya shook her head as though to clear it and pushed past the iron gate, starting up the pathway. Her eyes fell on the drive-way to her right and for a second time she found herself completely awed at what was there.

The two cars that were in the driveway were not your average neighbourhood car, even for this rich neighbourhood. They were relatively new models, not exactly the cheapest cars you could come by, and both had the appearance of cars that were under constant care and scrutiny.

A dark blue BMW 316 ti COMPACT was parked in the driveway, next to a silver E320 Mercedes Benz sedan. The BMW had been modified, Chaya noticed, looking down at the tires; magnesium rims. Chaya thought this was a stupid move, but that was only her idea. She had never liked mag-rims, mostly because how they looked. She also couldn't stand how they made a car handle. If you turned too quickly or made a certain movement, they tire was blown and you were screwed. That and they were expensive… 'Hence the reason Ray's family's got 'em.'

The Benz didn't look like it had been modified in any manner, not that it needed to have been. It was sleek and very obviously new. Creeping closer to it, Chaya looked in through the tinted windows and saw that it was a standard transmission. She couldn't remember if the E320 was actually standard or if this car had been designed especially so.

Just as she was turning to go towards the house, she caught sight of a third car that was practically hidden beneath the willow tree at the edge of the drive-way. It was covered with a tarp, only the wheels visible beneath it, but from its shape Chaya was sure it was some kind of sports car. Her curiosity aroused, she couldn't help but sneak forward and check out the car beneath the canvas. 'Ten bucks it's a Porsche…'

Carefully pulling up the tarp, considering she didn't really want to disturb anything on the car – it was possible that the vehicle was being fixed and some idiot might have left a tool or something on the hood. The last thing she needed to happen was to scratch and expensive car – she peeked under the tarpaulin, felt the blood drain from her face, and let it drop again, hurrying back towards the house.

'An AC Cobra. They have a goddamned AC Cobra!' she felt herself thinking, her fingers shaking the closer she got to the house. 'You don't just buy an AC Cobra and leave it around in the parking lot, that thing's for driving! They can no be serious leaving that thing there…._An AC Cobra_!'

She had only ever seen one in books or on the internet. After all, she'd moved around so much she hardly ever managed to see anything worth it. But here, in the middle of nowhere, in the driveway less than twenty feet away was one of the coolest cars that she could think of. It boggled the mind.

Finally arriving at the door, she paused for a moment to look back at the cars, and then rang the doorbell, suddenly feeling self-conscious about herself again. If those people had this much money, she was obviously in for one hell of a night….

The door opened slowly with a creak and a portly, grey looking old man in a suit appeared before her. He looked down his nose, obviously taking in her appearance, and then said in a pleasant, yet patronizing voice, "We have already bought Girl Scout cookies."

"Hey, Lurch, do I look anything like a girl scout?" Chaya demanded, instantly riled. Where did this guy get off treating her like crap? The man gave her another once over, his look answering her rhetorical question. "I didn't think so. I'm here to baby-sit what's her name – Ying Fa?"

"Ah yes, Miss Mizuhara," the man said quietly, still looking very much unimpressed with her. "We've been expecting you. Follow me."

He held open the door for her and barely waited for her to enter the porch before closing it swiftly behind her with such a slam that she jumped. After being told to take off her boots, she followed the man through the tastefully decorated foyer and into what had to be the conservatory. Chaya began to walk right in but stopped when she saw that what seemed to be the entire Kon family was sitting within, waiting for her.

Mr. and Mrs. Kon were a young looking couple, both of whom were dressed formally. Mr. Kon was small and severe looking, although the smile on his face reminded Chaya of Ray – the way it could make even the most nervous feel calmed. Mrs. Kon was short and pretty, barely an inch taller than Chaya, with a round face and hair that had been teased into curls. Her amber eyes looked kindly towards Chaya as she entered, and Ray looked up as well, grinning. He was dressed in casual jeans and a Black Sabbath T-shirt, his sneakers propped up on the arm rest of an antique looking couch. All three of them were very obviously waiting for her.

On the floor, playing with a few stuffed animals was a little girl about two or three, with the same black hair and amber eyes as her mother and brother. She didn't even seem to notice Chaya in the doorframe and continued on with her little game as though nothing could destroy her world.

"Uh…hi, I'm sorry I'm late," Chaya began, trying to break the ice and knowing that she was failing miserably. "The bus stalled and I had to take a different one."

"It's not problem," Mrs. Kon said in a slightly Chinese accented voice. "We were going to be fashionably late anyhow."

"Yes, come along now," Mr. Kon nodded, his voice also accented. Chaya remembered suddenly something Ray had told her about his parents a while back. They were both originally from Xining in China and had immigrated to New York roughly fifteen years earlier. Mr. Kon had opened a restaurant there, made a few beneficial business connections and had begun his own chain. The Kons had moved to Bethany a year after Ray was born and stayed there since. Now Mr. Kon was an important business man or something or other and Mrs. Kon was some kind of doctor.

"All the emergency numbers are on the magnet on the fridge," Mrs. Kon explained, Chaya following her carefully both in words and actions. She trailed behind the woman, trying to glean off of her any reactions or movements that suggested she was not comfortable with Chaya taking care of her laughter. "If there's anything going wrong, just give us a call – the cell-phone number is also on the fridge. And I think Vladimir's number is there as well – I'm not sure – Ray!" Mrs. Kon called over her shoulder as Ray appeared from the room, his hands in his pockets as he was watching them leave.

"Yeah?"

"Is the Oreskovic number on the fridge?"

"Uh, no, but I'll give it to Chaya before you leave, so don't worry."

"Alright," Mrs. Kon was appeased. "Ying's bath is at seven thirty and she goes to bed at eight. If she gets hungry she can have cheese and crackers it's her favourite but make sure she doesn't stuff it all in her mouth at once? I'm sure you have Ray's cell phone number – and Martin and Gina are going home for the week-end. I do hpe you'll be alright in this big house all by yourself."

"No worries," Chaya assured the woman. "I've seen _Scream _before, so I know where any prospective killers might be hiding. I also know not to follow the pigeons."

Mrs. Kon smiled in polite confusion and then walked out into the porch where her husband was holding out her coat.

"_Final Destination 2_?" Ray whispered out of the corner of his mouth as they followed his parents and Chaya nodded. Her friend sniggered at her.

"Well, we're off not," Mrs. Kon said, just as her husband went out the door, probably to start the car. "Ying, dear, you be good now."

There was a shrieking giggle and the little girl ran from the foyer to her mother, who scooped her up in her arms and kissed her goodbye. After a minute or so, she handed the child over to Ray, waved, and the left. Through the window Chaya watched as the Mercedes pulled out of the driveway and started down the road.

As soon as it disappeared, Ray passed the toddler to Chaya and grabbed his coat from the closet. "Well, I have to go pick up Mariah. Have fun," he grinned. "I'll be back around twelve to relieve you from your prison duty."

"Funny, Kon, I'm dying with a laughter," Chaya grumbled over the head of the wriggling two-year-old. She let her down and the little one began to pick contently at the shoes in the porch. Ray laughed at her as he dug into his pocket, pulled out a crumpled sheet of paper and a pen and hurriedly jotted something down. Handing it to her, he said, "Here's Kai's number if anything goes wrong."

She recoiled. "Why are you giving me that jackass' number?"

Ray rolled his eyes. "Well, one, considering my parents are over at his house for dinner it might be a good idea if you can reach them and two, he's baby-sat Ying before so he can help out if anything goes wrong."

"But your parents said they were going to the Oreskovic – oh."

Ray sent her a look, and then shook his head. "Look, it'll be fine. Nothing will go wrong and you won't have to call. So chill out, alright?"

He opened the door and Chaya felt a nagging voice wanting her to tell him to forget Mariah and stay and hang out with her. She dutifully ignored said voice.

He winked at her before he closed the door. "Try not to burn the place down?"

"Right," Chaya faked a smiled. The door finally closed and the smile fell from her face. 'Right…how hard is it to take care of a two year old?'

The child, seemingly aware of her thoughts, looked up at her. For a moment, in the trick of the light, Chaya thought the little girl was grinning up at her evilly, before even the light was shattered with a loud, screaming sob that issued forth from the child. For a moment Chaya wondered if Ying Fa wasn't undergoing torture or something, before she hurried forward and tried to pacify the screaming child.

(-)

"This…is not…a child!"

Chaya looked desperately at the clock, her ear drums ringing as the child continued to shriek. It was a quarter after seven; half an hour since the Kons had left and the toddler hadn't stopped crying since. Chaya was counting down the minutes to when she could put the little brat to bed.

"Hungry!" the kid yelled suddenly, her face scrunching up and threatening more screams. Chaya wondered wearily how it was possible that her throat hadn't seized up just yet.

"I'll get you some cheese and crackers," Chaya said wearily, on her way to the kitchen.

"No! I wan' can-dee!" the little amber-eyed demon squealed, her lower lip jutting out in a pout.

"You're mother said cheese and crackers, that's what you're getting," Chaya grumbled, going to the kitchen to get everything. It was amazing that after ten minutes she managed to get everything together, because the kitchen was like a hall of its own and because Ying was hanging to her legs as she shlumped around the kitchen, opening various cupboards and drawers. "Here you go…"

She placed a plate with the food on the table and lifted Ying up into her high-chair. The girl began to whine and moan, pulling at Chaya's hair. "I don' wan'! Wan' can-dee!"

"You're not getting any candy."

The little girls' eyes watered and Chaya groaned inwardly. She knew what was coming next – and sure enough, the shining, echoing kitchen was home to shrieks and cries as Ying went into an all-out temper tantrum.

Her patience thoroughly tested, Chaya growled and picked Ying up, slinging her over her shoulder. "That's it, kid, it's bath time and then you're going to bed."

"NO!"

The little she-devil kicked Chaya in the stomach, winding her to the extent that she loosened her hold and the toddler slid down and ran off.

"Ying, get back here!" 'You little brat!'

(-)

"Ying!" Chaya yelled, poking her head around one of the many corners of the house. "Ying, you're going to get sick, running around the house naked!"

After catching up with the little twerp the first time, Chaya had managed to carry her kicking, screaming and squirming to her bedroom, where she had promptly undressed her, carried her and a towel to the bathroom that was the size of a hot springs, and still holding onto her, begun to adjust the water. Once she had gotten it to the desired temperature, she had tried to dunk the kid into it, but was stopped by the unholy screeching about it being 'too hot!'.

It had only taken one second, where Chaya had let the kid go, just to cool the water down, and the little nudist was off, running down the halls.

"And I gave up playing 'Bullshit' with Aurellia for this," the blond muttered. "Ying, get your nekkid little arse back here before I call your parents!"

She heard a cackle from downstairs, and promptly slid down the banister to get there. Any other time she would have found this an extremely fun past time, but at the moment, she was trying to figure how best to kill the little brat and making it look like an accident.

Inwardly seething, Chaya checked her watch. It was eight-thirty. Just great. Her first job in who-knows-when and she had already broken the wishes of the parents in question. Yep, she sure was someone's favourite…

"Ying, if you come out I'll give you some candy…" Chaya coaxed. No go. Chaya figured that Ray must have used that one a few times. Speaking of Ray…

Digging into her pocket, she grabbed the cell phone her mother had lent her and was just about to dial the bastards' number, when there was a noise in the front porch. Chaya looked around a door frame and paled as she recognized Mr. and Mrs. Kon enter their house.

"I can not believe the horrible manners," Mrs. Kon sniffed. "And they had the nerve---"

"Now, now," Mr. Kon said, patting his wife's shoulder.

"Oh, Chaya dear," Mrs. Kon said brightly as she recognized her baby-sitter. "How was Ying this evening?"

"She was---" Chaya began to voice exactly what she thought about their daughter, when a pink and black flash of color whizzed by, jumping into Mrs. Kon's arms.

"Mummy! Mummy!" the kid squealed.

"What is the meaning of this?" Mr. Kon asked, rounding on Chaya.

Chaya stared. And then glared. And then felt her expression set itself into an unimpressed look as she stalked forward, practically pulled Ying out of her mother's arms and looked calmly up at the woman. "Please excuse me for just one moment."

And then, with Ray's parents watching her with their mouths open, she carried the still kicking and screaming child upstairs, plunked her into the bathtub and began to wash her hair vigorously, despite the yells. Then, in less than a few minutes, she had dried her off, pulled a nightgown onto the little stripper and placed her in bed. The little lump was still yelling like she was being tortured until Chaya said in a very, very eerie and deadly voice, "_Desist_!"

The little child seemed to sense the sudden change in the atmosphere and suddenly shut up, hiccupping slightly as she looked up at Chaya with rather big eyes. Chaya was not impressed, crossing her arms and looking down at the little girl, "Now listen. You have been a spoiled, rotten brat tonight. You didn't do anything I told you, you didn't behave yourself if I could accuse you of purposefully making tonight as hard as it could be for me without sounding like a maniac, I would. If you had actually behaved you could have spent tonight playing with your toys or having me read to you or something. But you didn't and for that, you are now going to go to bed and think about what I just said. Maybe the next time you have a baby-sitter you'll behave and have a much better time."

Without another word she stalked out of the room, past the shocked looking Mr. And Mrs. Kon who had obviously followed her upstairs in the first place, and started down the hall towards the stairs. 'I think it's safe to say I won't be coming back here anymo –"

She cried out when she heard a little wail and then suddenly found both of her legs pinned together by chubby little hands. Looking down, she saw large, watery amber eyes looking up at her imploringly, and the lower lip trembling. "Chay no go! Mummy, make Chay stay!"

Chaya frowned, having definitely not seen this coming. Looking up, she met Ray's parents' faces, noticing that they were just as confused as she seemed to be.

Mr. Kon cleared his throat.

"Well…I never…"

Chaya was ready to hear a torrent of lectures about having treated their daughter in such a way that she had or something along those lines, but was surprised when Mr. Kon dug into his pocket and handed her the allotted amount of money, and then some.

"Chaya, I'm pretty sure this is what we owe you, and I, as well as my wife, was wondering…would you be interested in being a regular babysitter here for when Ray goes out and we're not home? We have been trying to find a baby-sitter that Ying likes, as well as one who has some firmness to her. Most people we ask when Ray isn't around allow her to get away with everything she wants.'

Mrs. Kon sighed slightly looking at Chaya imploringly. "I do hope you say you'll come back?"

Numb and not knowing what else to do, Chaya muttered, "S-sure…"

It took another hour until Chaya finally got out of the house, the Kon's having thought it hospitable to discuss 'business arrangements' over a cup of tea after Ying was put to bed, and just as Chaya turned the corner of the street, she bumped into Ray.

"Hey!" the Chinese boy grinned. "How was---ouch!"

Chaya punched him in the gut and kept going, not looking back as she cried out, "That's for the less than mediocre warning, Kon!"

* * *

>0

THERE, IT'S OUT. Enjoy.  
KQ


	17. Hopeful Failure

**_Drowning in the Clouds_**

_Author_: KuriQuinn

_Title_: Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom_: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer_: I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all

_Fanfiction_ _Disclaimer_: Chaya is my own creation, as is Haley, Jennifer, Claire and anyone else that you don't recognize. Miyami Kinomiya belongs to Mags, my best friend. Aurelia Delk belongs to Band-Freak aka Lobo-Chan. And that is all for now...Flash Jameson belongs to Flash, IrisMessana belongs to Iz

_Rating_: R for language, mature themes and possible violence in later chapters

_Pairing_: Figure it out.

_Takes-Place_: Alternate Universe

_Summary_: Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

* * *

>0

**Chapter Sixteen: Hopeful Failure **

"Now that's a fine piece of ass if I ever saw one," Aurelia's voice broke Chaya's concentration as she balanced on the chair, trying to put up a black and orange colored chain of paper circles. The girl looked down at her Austrian friend, and then followed her line of vision towards something she was looking at a few yards away. 'Something' turned out to be Ray, who was trying to say something to Mariah but she didn't seem to be listening as she chatted cheerfully about something or another.

Johnny and Flash exchanged amused glances, and Chaya rolled her eyes, prodding Miyami to feed her more of the paper chain. Her best friend was also staring over at Ray as though transfixed and Chaya felt like smacking them both. "Uh, hello? Decorations. Start helping or go and drool over Ray, but make your decision. I'd go for the former considering we all know that he's taken."

"Life sucks," Miyami grumbled, bending over to get some more of the paper chain. It was the Monday after Chaya's strange baby-sitting experience and in light of Halloween coming up, Principal Dickinson and Ms. Clarkson had suggested they decorate the school and have a Spirit Day on the Thursday, considering the Halloween dance had been cancelled. Chaya thought it was a great idea, considering Halloween was her favorite holiday all year – and it coincided with her own spirit day, Samhain, the wiccan feast of summers end.

"Is there a particular reason that you chicks always go for the Asian dudes?" Johnny muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets and glancing jealously towards Ray, who was still trying to get a word in edgewise and failing miserably. Chaya wondered what was so important, considering Ray usually just let Mariah chat on and on without troubling her.

"Is there a particular reason that you want to know?" Chaya raised an eyebrow while she ripped off a blue piece of Fun-Tack to put up the rest of the chain.

"Because he can't get laid and needs pointers," Flash murmured monotonously, although his eyes were flashing in amusement. Johnny glared at Flash and raised his fist threateningly, but the blond boy merely raised an eyebrow at him before looking back at Chaya. "Anyway…"

The girls laughed and Chaya got down off of the stool, moving it a few feet further against the wall for the next link in the chain.

"Who do you even care, anyhow?" Miyami teased the redhead. "Haven't you noticed that people drool over you anyway?"

Johnny looked slightly mollified and Chaya laughingly warned, "Don't encourage him, Yami, he'll get his ego inflated so badly he won't be able to walk."

"Oh…sorry. Blond moment."

Chaya made a face. "Why do you discriminate against blonds? What have they ever done to you?"

"Well, you, as a blond, are brazen brat. Sorry Chays, but you've prejudiced me against all of them," Miyami sniggered, twirling one of her pink streaks around one of her fingers and sending Chaya a sardonic look.

"Hm. Point. But still. You shouldn't be so biased against blonds."

"I'm not. I'm biased against you."

Chaya pretended to pout, and then grinned, "But I'm gorgeous! I mean, look at these!" She reached up and perked her breasts up.

Miyami rolled her eyes. "Yes, they're very nice and instill jealousy within those of us that don't have such nice boobs."

Aurelia was laughing at them both, while Johnny watched, open-mouthed. Blinking slowly, his mouth still open and sounding quite dazed, he mumbled, "Do that again. Please dear God, don't stop!"

Miyami and Chaya exchanged unimpressed glances, before both of them reached over and smacked him upside either side of his head. Chaya went back to putting up the decorations while Miyami berated Johnny about being a pervert. Flash just shook his head at them but continued to watch the interchange with interest, as though it were some kind of amusing television show.

"Do you work at being weird?" Chaya asked her redheaded friend as she got down from the chair again and began to move to the next spot.

Johnny flashed her a grin. "Constantly."

"Figures," the blond girl snorted, setting up the chair again and getting ready to continue in her work. She stopped when she noticed Aurelia had been strangely silent for the past few minutes, and studied her foreign friend carefully. The girl was leaning on a locker, still eyeing Ray with a smirk. It seemed that he had finally managed to get Mariah stop talking. Chaya paused and leaned her arm on Aurelia's shoulder to partake in the act of watching for a few seconds.

Whatever Ray was saying was evoking some kind of emotion out of Mariah because she was glancing around in shock to see if anyone was paying attention and hissing something at him. There was a sudden presence behind her and she jumped when she felt a hiss of breath in her ear, and a low whisper, "Wishful thinking won't make Kon come to you."

Chaya jumped and whirled around so fast that she nearly knocked Aurelia over; she glared at Hiwatari who was smirking at her with his usual smug look. Ivanov was with him as usual, but a different girl-toy had come along and she was waiting doubtfully behind, succeeding in looking the part of the brainless appendage.

"What do you want?" Chaya asked with a hint of a growl that made Hiwatari's eyes gleam. After a moment, he simply raised an eyebrow, half-amused and half-inquiring.

"I don't want anything, Mizuhara."

"Then why are you here?" she asked, trying to keep her voice calm and controlled. She didn't want to resort to childish insults to early in today's game…

"I was on my way to alert the army that the Germans were invading again."

Whatever she had been expecting, she hadn't expected that. For a moment she had to concentrate to keep the sarcastic and amused smile from appearing on her face. That had been well-timed and had given her a visual of Kai running around ringing a bell and yelling about an attack. She finally managed a frowning grimace.

"What, no come-back to that, Mizuhara?" he looked pleased with himself.

"Why waste the words?" she shrugged.

He smirked and leaned back a little, putting his hands in his pockets and then nodded over in Ray's direction. "Then why waste your time on him? Don't you know it would take a miracle for someone to go for a train-wreck like you?"

"Yeah? Well at least I don't have to jerk off in public just to get attention," Chaya replied icily, Kai's twit about her over-obvious crush hitting close to home. There was a silence and then Ivanov began to laugh out loud.

"She does sort of have a point there," the redhead shrugged explanatorily when his buddy sent him an unimpressed glare.

"Shut up," the slate-haired teenager snapped, and then turned his sneer back onto Chaya. "How long did it take you make that up? Were you staying up late last night thinking over things you could say?"

"Actually, no, last night she was whipping the collective asses off of all of us at _Scrabble_," Aurelia interrupted, obviously deciding that now was the time to interject and end the fight before it began in earnest. She pushed Chaya in back over and then smiled up brilliantly and fakely at Hiwatari. "Now, I absolutely have to ask you this – you know, for stories back home – what is it like to be Kai Hiwatari, grandson of the Russian ambassador and resident asshole of Bethany High school?"

Hiwatari's eyes flashed with an angry spark and for a moment Chaya remembered that Hiwatari didn't like references being made about his grandfather. For whatever reason, she didn't know, but it was making him send a dirty look in her direction as though he believed she was the one that had informed Aurelia about his lineage. His gaze moving again to rest on Aurelia, he said in a low, almost dangerous voice. "You've got a lot of guts, kid, but here's a tip. Stay away from this piece of ass tissue and you might survive long enough to get back to your own country in one piece."

And he sauntered off, his little girl-toy flitting after him. Ivanov stayed for a moment, regarding the little group of lower-classmen with an almost sadistic grin, before skulking off with his friends.

"Yeah! Walk away!" Johnny yelled after them, earning an unimpressed glare from Ivanov. There was a long lull before Miyami cleared her throat, her voice grinning.

"I think he likes you."

Chaya whirled around and was about to smack her friend when she saw the joking look in her eyes. Shaking her head and rolling her eyes she bent down to pick up the remainder of the orange and black paper chain.

"You're right," Aurelia decided, watching the threesome disappear into the hallways. "He is an ass." Chaya smirked in triumph. "But he's a hot ass." Chaya face changed drastically as though she had just swallowed a particularly sour lemon.

"Are you nuts?" she demanded, and then made a face. "And what is it with you and asses? Is that your theme for today?"

"Hey, I may not look it, but I have a natural affinity for being a matchmaker. It's in the blood. Take for example…" she trailed off, looking for a suitable subject, her eyes landing on Ray and Mariah, who was looking steadily more hysterical. "They're doomed. Conflict of interest."

Chaya rolled her eyes and her eyes caught sight of the clock.

"Whatever. What do we have now?"

"_Mattematik_," Aurelia said automatically. "You're going to be in trouble for not doing your homework. And no, you can't copy mine."

"Great," Chaya groaned. "She's been out to get me since I danced on the desk in that one class –"

"I can't believe you!" a loud voice yelled, and the group looked off towards the source of the noise. "After all of that, you're still standing up for her?"

"She's my friend, Mariah, just like you are."

"You jerk, I'm your girlfriend! Doesn't that count for anything?" the pink haired Chinese girl was looking frazzled, her whipping her fingers through her hair so rapidly that it was beginning to get frizzy.

"Sure it does," Ray said defensively, although resigned at the same time, as though bored with this topic.

"Then why do you insist on hanging out more with her than with me? And you stand up for every single little thing that she does!" Mariah was whining now, her face turning a blotchy pink. "Even if it's make fun of me and my friends!"

"Because she doesn't care!" Ray shot back now, his voice rising the slightest. He looked a little angry at the girl's insinuations. "She's not the jealous type that calculates how much time I spend with other people and she doesn't practically put a contract out on other people that might get in her way!"

"What---What are you saying, Raymond Kon?"

"First of all, my name is not 'Raymond!" the Chinese boy snapped. "And secondly, I'm telling you that if you ever think about paying your little friends to help you get rid of someone like you were thinking of doing to Chaya, I will make your life a living hell!" The entire hall was paying attention now and Chaya had turned a dark shade of red, especially when people began sending her questioning looks from behind Ray and Mariah. "Don't try lying, Mariah, I spoke to Lee yesterday and he said he saw your stupid plans open in your journal. You don't leave that kind of stuff where people can see it."

He pulled away roughly and began to walk away. Mariah gasped and hurried forward, grabbing him by the shoulder. "A-are you…b-breaking up with me?"

Ray glared at her. "If that's what you want to call it."

There was a pregnant pause, before Mariah's face screwed up into an ugly position and she let out a shriek like a wounded animal. Then, dramatically, she ran off down the hall sobbing.

There was complete silence in the hallway.

Ray sighed at her back and turned to face the crowd. He blinked when he noticed how many people had been listening in on what had just happened.

"Does it look like there's a show going on here?" he demanded, causing most of the audience to run off. In the rush, he seemed to notice Chaya and her friends and a strange blush fell over his cheeks. He crept forward, looking down at the floor in embarrassment. "Sorry…I'd have done it more privately, but she's been annoying me for a few weeks now."

"Are you going to be okay?" Chaya asked. "I mean, you guys were pretty tight –"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure? Because, I mean, you say the word and she's a footnote in history," Chaya offered jokingly, glad to see Ray's serious face dissolve into an easy-going smile. "I'll make it look like a painful accident."

"Nah, it's cool," Ray said.

He grinned nervously at them, mostly at Chaya, and then sauntered off quickly down the hall, leaving the five teens alone in the now eerily empty hall.

Aurelia and Miyami rounded on Chaya seconds later.

"He likes you," Miyami said matter-of-factly.

"The hell?" Chaya frowned.

"He practically broke up with his girlfriend because she tried to go after you," Aurelia said, raising an eyebrow. "That's got to mean something."

"Sure, Lia," Chaya nodded sarcastically. "And the fact that he's my friend had nothing to do with it? Come on, what is with you guys? Is there a law somewhere that says that a guy and a girl can't be friends unless they're dating?"

"Yes!" everyone but Flash chorused. Chaya raised her eyebrow at him and he just rolled his eyes.

She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, as though she could sense an oncoming headache. "He is just my friend. I'd have done the same for him – now, can we forget about our Ray issues and get back to the plan for math today?"

"I vote we all get in trouble at the same time and get sent to see Clarkson," Johnny suggested, obviously glad that the 'boy-craze-phase' of the day was over at last.

"Nah, we did that last time," Miyami said, waving her hand dismissively. "You know? I bet if w all showed up at Clarkson's office with some lame excuse like 'I tried to rape the chalkboard while the teacher was teaching' she'd keep us in and give us a lecture on wasting her time."

"But do we really want to be listening to her droning?" Chaya asked, pulling a look of complete concentration. "I mean, between her and Giles, I'd choose Giles…"

"Don't we also have that math quiz today?" Aurelia wondered.

Chaya was silent for a moment.

"Chalkboard-raping it is…"

(-)

Chaya yawned as she entered the hobby-shop, dumping her bag on the floor as she began to walk upstairs.

"Max is at basketball practice," she called. "And Aurelia was invited to stay over at Miyami's house."

"What did you do at school today?" her father asked from the kitchen, poking his head out just as she was heading up the stairs.

"Nothing."

Her father sent her an inquiring look, before emerging completely from the kitchen and folding his arms. "You know, every day I ask you that and every day you say the same thing. I know something happened to you, so why don't you just tell me?"

Chaya grinned. Her father was creative. But then again, the student had long since surpassed the teacher. Turning around to face him, with the most serious face she could muster, she announced, "I've decided to become a man."

Then she turned back on her way upstairs and grinned as she made towards her room, hearing the silence and then her father muttering,

"… Well that taught me a very important lesson…"

* * *

>0 

TBC


	18. Cotton Swabbed

___**Drowning in the Clouds**_

_Author:_ KuriQuinn

_Title:_ Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom:_ Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all

_Fanfiction Disclaimer:_ Chaya is my own creation, as is Haley, Jennifer, Claire and anyone else that you don't recognize. Miyami Kinomiya belongs to Mags, my best friend. Aurelia Delk belongs to Band-Freak aka Lobo-Chan. And that is all for now...Flash Jameson belongs to Flash, IrisMessana belongs to Iz

_Rating:_ R for language, mature themes and possible violence in later chapters

_Pairing:_ Figure it out.

_Takes-Place:_ Alternate Universe

_Summary:_ Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

_Note:_ This chapter was originally written while I was in Austria on student exchange. Just thought you might want to know that...

* * *

>0

**Chapter Seventeen: Cotton Swabbed **

"You want to go trick or treating," Miyami said sceptically, looking at her best friend as though she had grown an extra set of heads. The two of them were loitering by Miyami's locker, waiting for the bell to signify their time to get moving to class. Chaya leaned up beside the other locker, shuffling a piece of paper down on the floor.

"Uh…yeah," she nodded, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"But…isn't Ray having that Halloween bash at his place?"

"Not anymore…" the brown-eyed girl said innocently, looking up from her little game, her grin wide and cunning. "I talked him into going trick or treating with me. He owed me big time for that little babysitting stunt he pulled last week."

Miyami blinked and then shook her head. "He is really stuck on you. I didn't think it was possible to be that whipped, that fast."

"Don't joke," Chaya frowned. "Getting my hopes up isn't a good thing to do in this life."

"I'm not trying to get your hopes up, it's true!" Miyami protested. "He broke up with his girlfriend over you, he cancelled his major social event of the year---after his b-day of course---for you…I'm telling you, Chaya…"

"Finish the sentence and I'll throttle you,' Chaya glared.

Miyami cleared her throat, seemingly deciding she would definitely like to continue breathing. The bell finally rang and she straightened up, her books in her arms, and fixed Chaya in an appraising gaze.

"You do realize that most of the student body is going to be out for your blood, right?" the silver haired girl said. "Kinda including me? You know how much people around here like to party."

"Tough cookies," Chaya stuck her tongue out and pushed herself off of the wall so that she could follow Miyami. "You mind telling me what is so bad about trick-or-treating? It's free candy!"

"I guess," Miyami said doubtfully. "But I was all set to go cute-redhead-stalking…you know how much preparation that takes."

"Yeah, well, you can do that any day," Chaya pointed out. "Right?"

Her imploring tone made Miyami sigh. "Right."

"Good. So, you're coming home with Aurelia and me?" It wasn't a question.

"Well, I dunno. I kinda wanted someone to walk me home…"

"And what do I look like?" Chaya pursed her lips. "Toe fungus?"

The silver-eyed girl rolled her eyes. "I meant someone with a little more testosterone."

"Fine!" Chaya harrumphed. "Me and my oestrogen can walk home alone then."

"Oh stop making a big deal of everything," Miyami ordered. "Let's get to class already, okay?"

"Yeah, okay – wait – we have history now, right?"

"Uh huh."

"Okay, I just have to go get my books," Chaya began, turning down the corner towards her locker. "C'mon."

"You don't have your books yet?" Miyami asked in disbelief, making Chaya glance back over her shoulder. "What were you doing all recess!"

"Uh…talking to you?"

"Very funny! You could have said you needed to get your books. There's no way I'm going with you right now, I'll be late to class!"

Chaya sent her a funny look. "And since when do you care about being late to class? Isn't it some kind of Miyami-rule that you be fashionably late for everything?"

Her friend pouted. "That was before Riley said he'd be docking five percent of my mark every time I'm late."

Chaya winced. "I see your point. See you in class then?"

"'Kay. Byes!"

The two girls took their separate directions and Chaya grinned as she flounced off, skidding across the freshly mopped floor and earning a grimace from Jackson.

"You are going to get yourself killed one day," a laid-back voice beside her mumbled and Chaya turned slightly to see that Ray had fallen into step beside her. He grinned at her startled expression and Chaya felt a light blush spring up over her cheeks.

Damn it, why did this always happen when she talked to Ray? She froze up for a few moments and then ended up talking without actually thinking. Here was Ray, one of her best friends, who was now _single_ in big, bold, italicized letters and she couldn't even act as though things were nice and normal. If he knew what was going through her mind he'd probably think she was as conniving as Mariah…

'Gah, why do I even bother?'

"I take it you told Yami about the change in plans?" he asked good-naturedly.

Chaya cleared her throat, finally able to regain her wits and smirked. "Yup. Her reaction was 'why the hell did you change your plans just because of me?' I told her I was secretly carrying your child and would sue you if you didn't go trick-or-treating with me."

Ray turned pink, but laughed. Chaya, meanwhile, felt like slapping herself. That had not come out the way it had sounded in her head…

"Smartass."

Chaya smiled brazenly. "Thanks, I try…do you think working out makes a difference?" She stopped walking and made a show of trying to catch a glimpse of her rear which made Ray laugh even more. A nameless teacher came out of his class, sent them both a meaningful glare, and then shut the door of his class.

"You're weird."

"I know," she replied. They turned another corner and found themselves in a hallway that was still emptying of students, mostly juniors and seniors. "But that doesn't stop me from actually wondering why you cancelled it to go out with me and probably my dorky brother and his friend."

"Well, two reasons," the Chinese boy admitted, looking awkward for a moment. "I figured I owed you for Ying nearly clobbering you with the kettle last night. How's your head, by the way?"

Chaya winced at the memory, having almost suppressed it. She had been asked again on short notice to baby-sit Ying while Ray and his parents went out for some kind of function that she had no clue about. Aurelia had decided to come along as well, just to keep her company, which had proved to be a mistake. The more people that hung around Ying, the less she behaved. The night before she had somehow climbed onto the kitchen counter while Chaya made her a snack and lobbed the thankfully empty tea kettle at her head. Hence the very large bump on the back of her head at the moment.

It hadn't been pretty.

"It's okay. The swelling went down and everything," Chaya assured him. "And the other reason? You said there were two."

She waited hopefully for his response, coloring even more when he grinned at her.

"Jezzy talked me into it. She said it'd be fun."

Chaya nodded, and then frowned abruptly. Apprehensively she asked, "Jezzy?"

"Yeah, she's my girlfriend," Ray explained. "She's in the sophomore class. I thought you met her – hold on, I see her up there – hey, Jez!"

Chaya's heart sank and she mentally began to tear her hair out. How was it possible that Ray was already seeing someone! It hadn't even been two days since he broke things off with Mariah! It was almost as though he had torn a page out of Hiwatari's book and decided to go binge dating…

A sandy-haired girl walked up to them, smiling and lugging her books in a backpack. Her eyes were almost the same color as Ray's, but while his always looked cunning yet relaxed, hers were beaming full of happiness and cheer. Her hair was long and pulled back in a ponytail, with a few tendrils escaping the tie and falling to frame her face. She wore a lavender tank-top, dark blue overalls and fingerless gloves.

"You must be Chaya," she said matter-of-factly, grinning at Chaya. "Ray's told me a lot about you – you're practically famous around here anyway, I've only ever seen you in the hallways badmouthing Kai or something like that. Some kind of legend to the masses, huh?"

Chaya blinked. This had been far from what she had expected. "Uh…legend?"

"Well, no one's been here for such a short time and made themselves as many enemies either. I mean Hiwatari for one thing and then of course the popular cliques – and then you go ahead with all of those pranks and ideas, right? I mean, didn't you organize that one food-fight so that the kids didn't get into trouble? That was so cool – and you flooded the bathrooms last month so they could cancel school. Right?"

"Uh…well, yeah, but Miyami was the one that made sure people didn't get into trouble, I just threw the first lob of potatoes – and the bathroom flooding incident was a complete accident."

"Oh come on, don't be so modest," Ray said jovially. "We all know you."

"But it's true," Chaya mumbled, feeling her cheeks burning. "I had wanted to throw the backing-soda bomb at Hiwatari during math class but I dropped it before I could sneak back. I still have no idea why that made everything go boom."

"Well, whatever you say, I'm still glad I get to hang out with you guys."

Chaya nodded slowly again, and then stopped to peer suspiciously at the other girl. No one in this world was that nice… "You're not just sucking up, right?"

A frown appeared on Jezzy's face. "Hey, I may be friendly, but I'm not a suck up," she said, her voice filled with more snap then before. "If you can't distinguish between the two you're kind of high on yourself."

"Chill out," Chaya frowned, cutting the girl off before she said more. She sounded as though she had more to say. She hadn't meant to sound rude, but from her experience with Ray's girlfriends, he tended to pick the girls for looks instead of personality. Hence Mariah.

Jezzy was an extremely likeable person, even though Chaya was currently begrudging her for being with Ray. She sent a significant glance at the Chinese boy and then voiced some of her thoughts. "It's just that from what I've heard, Ray's other girlfriends were birdbrains that sucked up to his friends to get noticed."

Ray's lips drew themselves into a thin line, but Jezzy just laughed.

"Well, I doubt I fall into the category of monotonous, boring girlfriends," the sandy-haired girl told Chaya, joining the three of them as they walked through the finally emptying halls. "We met because I nearly beaned him with the power-saw when I was coming out of shop class."

"When was this? "Chaya asked, laughing.

"Yesterday morning."

"Oh _really_?" Chaya murmured, casting a mock interested look over at Ray.

He looked anxious for a moment, before clearing his throat and glancing down the hall. "Right, so, why don't you girls char for a while? I have to go make the mass-announcement about the cancellation and the come back here to bodyguard you so that the other juniors don't tar and feather you. Bue!"

The two girls watched him go and then Jezzy looked back at Chaya. She smiled, and then blinked at something, before pointing at Chaya's neck. "You're Wiccan?"

"Uh, yeah," Chaya nodded, waiting for the questions she knew were coming. '_Are you a witch? Do cast spells on people? Are you satanic_? Ugh, people are so stupid sometimes. They just don't get the fact that I don't believe in the devil…'

"Really? That's so cool," Jezzy grinned, reaching under her overalls and pulling out a complicated, Celtic looking symbol. "I'm Celtic Wiccan. I didn't think I'd find anyone else who worshipped around here. What path do you follow?"

Chaya shrugged. "I'm pretty new to it, but I do like Norse magic; you know, runes and stuff. And Celtic practicing is kind of cool."

"Really?" Jezzy was ecstatic and Chaya couldn't help being infected by the girl's excitement. "You and I should get together some time, you know, hang out and discuss stuff. But right now – " suddenly Jezzy looked worried, " – I think the that teacher's glaring at us to get to class."

Chaya looked up, her eyes following Jezzy's gaze and she squeaked, suddenly remembering that she had to get her books. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Definitely," the honey-eyed girl beamed, before hurrying off in another direction to class.

Chaya grinned as she walked down the hall, and then sighed. Great.

(-)

"I can't hate her!" she hissed loudly to Miyami.

Her friend looked up at her, somewhat exasperated. "And I should care about this why? In the middle of history class, might I add?"

Chaya blinked and looked around, suddenly noticing that all eyes were on her, including their teachers'. Riley smiled in benign confusion, before putting the chalk down from where he had been writing notes on the board, and put his hands on his hips.

"As much as your life is riveting, Chaya, we do have a few things to cover in class today. So make your little exchange with Miyami quick, please?"

The blond girl turned pink and shook her head rapidly. "Uh, no problem here, Riley. Just…teach along. I'm good."

"You sure?" he asked, sarcastic.

"Positive." She hurriedly sat down and attempted to bury her head in her desk. She could hear him continue talking and writing on the board, before she slowly looked up at Miyami, who was casting her amused glances out of the corner of her eye.

"So…what's this all about now?"

"Ray's new girlfriend," Chaya whispered back. "And the fact that she's nice, interesting, funny, I have loads of stuff in common with her…"

"Ah, I see the problem," Miyami said knowledgeably. "Mariah you could actually dislike and didn't mind so much when he broke up with her. But now, if you're friends with his new girlfriend, then…" Miyami trailed off, a peculiar looked coming to her face, and then peered at Chaya. "Ray has a new girlfriend?"

Chaya did a double-take. "Uh, yeah. That's what we've been talking about."

"Since when? And when did he have the time? And…what the hell!" This last outburst was so loud, that Riley looked up from his lesson once again, while the rest of the class went back to staring at Miyami and Chaya. Chaya thought that she saw Max hide himself behind a book as though from embarrassment and made a mental note to have words with him when they go home.

Riley raised an eyebrow. "Is there a problem, Miyami?"

"Uh, nope," the silver-eyed girl replied, beaming up at him innocently. "I just, uh…"

Chaya glanced at writing on the board, quickly reading it over and realizing they were talking about the French Revolution and the rise or Maximilian Robespierre.

She cleared her throat and interrupted her friend, "I was just explaining to her about Robespierre and about how many people lost their heads during that time and his little cult of personality, and as you can see, she's outraged." Riley looked as though he didn't believe her, and she continued babbling, feeling a straining behind her eyes and the angry blush that always appeared when she was put on the spot firing up. "I mean, who wouldn't be outraged the way Robespierre was acting? He went and pretty much single-handedly had all of the Girondins killed off so that his group was the only group around. And that basically put the entire French population in trouble because now they were under this dictator when they hadn't wanted that in the beginning. They got rid of their monarchs because they hadn't been in favour of the authoritarian monarchy; they had wanted a constitutional one so that they could have more freedom. But then Robespierre and the Jacobins totally usurped the power and took away any freedom they had before. It was kind of like, one step forward, two steps back. And anyone that actually tried to help the people ended up at the guillotine. And by the time they actually managed to get rid of Robespierre, they left such a weak France that Napoleon had no trouble taking over years later and becoming Emperor." She took in a deep breath and tried to regain some air. "All I'm saying is that Robespierre shouldn't have been allowed to gain that much power and I think it's possible that he could have been stopped when he first carried out some of that damage."

The class was so silent that you could have heard a pin drop. Riley looked mildly impressed with Chaya, but also mildly irritated. A moment later, he sighed, "Next time just say you weren't paying attention, okay? It's shorter and takes up less time and I can get on with my lesson." Chaya opened her mouth to protest. "However, you do raise a few good points, which I will address just as soon as I've finished the notes on Robespierre…"

Chaya inhaled heavily; glad to have bypassed that little obstacle, and then noticed Miyami was looking at her strangely. "What?"

"You're creepy, man. How do you pull stuff out of your ass like that? You know as well as I do that you made that stuff up on the spot."

"Did not. Unlike some people, I actually _do_ my history homework."

"Don't go there, Chays…"

"Honestly, if you two aren't going to shut up, I'm going to have to separate you!"

"Sorry Riley…"

* * *

>0 

I'M SO SORRY GUYS, THIS WAS SUCH A POINTLESS CHAPTER, BUT IT'S THE ONLY ONE I COULD WRITE ON SUCH SHORT NOTICE FOR BAND FREAK! THE NEXT ONE WILL BE REALLY LONG; I PROMISE!

DON'T KILL ME!


	19. Annointed

___**Drowning in the Clouds**_

_Author:_ KuriQuinn

_Title:_ Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom:_ Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all

_Fanfiction Disclaimer:_ Chaya is my own creation, as is Haley, Jennifer, Claire and anyone else that you don't recognize. Miyami Kinomiya belongs to Mags, my best friend. Aurelia Delk belongs to Band-Freak aka Lobo-Chan. And that is all for now...Flash Jameson belongs to Flash, Iris Messana belongs to Iz

_Rating:_ R for language, mature themes and possible violence in later chapters

_Pairing:_ Figure it out.

_Takes-Place:_ Alternate Universe

_Summary:_ Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

_Note:_ This chapter was originally written while I was in Austria on student exchange. Just thought you might want to know that...

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen: Anointed**

"Chaya! Get your ass down here!" Miyami yelled from the downstairs of the hobby shop, making Chaya pause as she adjusted her make-up in the mirror. "This was your idea, so ya better not stand us up!"

"I'm not," she yelled back, annoyed at being rushed. "Hold your horses!"

She straightened up from the mirror and grinned at herself, finally satisfied with the finishing touches of her costume. It had been a lot of work, but she finally had it the way she wanted. Her hair had been brushed out to its full length and now hung into two below shoulder length braids of blond that had been fastened with two large, frilly pink bows near their tips. The streaks of her bangs had been strategically hidden beneath her natural hair colour, making her appear completely blond-haired. Twin spots of rouge blossomed over her cheeks, as well as bubble-gum pink lipstick and mascara and eyeliner that made her eyes seem wider and larger than they really were. She wore a pink, knee-length gingham frock with a frilly blouse and pinafore that swept out almost like it was being brushed by the wind. Frilled socks and buckled black shoes completed the ensemble.

'Perfect,' she thought to herself with a grin. No one would see this one coming. Grabbing a large, pink carpet bag that had once belonged to one of her aunts and would be used as her candy-bag, she waltzed out of the room, towards the stairs. When she reached the head of the stairs, she stopped and grinned down at her friends, all of whom were oblivious to her presence. She took this as a chance to study her friends costumes. Miyami was dressed as a vampire, currently trying to keep her plastic glow-in-the-dark fangs from falling out of her mouth, even as she laughed at something Ray had said. The Chinese boy was dressed completely in black, his hair slicked back and his face hidden by dark _Matrix _style glasses. Across from them, Tyson, Max and Aurelia sat on the floor, all waiting for her to show up.

"It's too bad the others couldn't come," Tyson commented, rearranging the straw in his costume. He wore the floppy, mismatched clothes of a scarecrow and was chewing on a long piece of straw.

"Yeah, tell me about it," Ray agreed. "Jez was all ticked off because she caught the flu."

"Oh, what a shame," Miyami deadpanned and Chaya nearly laughed out loud. Her friend was still unimpressed that Ray was in yet another relationship, almost as though he should have consulted her first. Ray obviously missed her tone.

"Where'd you say Jen and Haley were?" Max asked, adjusting the wimple of his nun costume. Chaya thought that it was rather amusing that dressed as a nun, Max actually looked female. It was the dimples in his cheeks and the wide, cheerful innocent eyes that made him look like a girl. She would be sure to tell him this later…

"They went out to dinner. Haley said she was treating Jen because she's not going to be here the weekend of her birthday," Tyson yawned. "Don't know why they'd want to be alone, though."

"You're so dense," Miyami told her cousin plainly.

"_Also gut_. You know? This is a lot like _Fasching_ in Austria," Aurelia commented, jumping up to prance around in her fluffy pink tutu and faerie wings. "But we get candy and cake and huge party out of the deal."

Chaya wanted to laugh at Miyami's expression. "Why don't we get cake?"

"Because Americans are already overweight as it is," Chaya commented in a drawling voice, deciding to make her presence known. She moved down the stairs slowly and deliberately, amused by their looks of disbelief. Her mother, who had come into the room to see what was going on and to probably harp on Max about his choice of costume, was just lifting a glass of mineral water to her lips when Chaya appeared. When she met her daughter's eyes, she spat out whatever was in her mouth and just stared up at her daughter.

Max ran from the room, tripping over the long robes as he did.

"Oh…my…whoa," Miyami finally managed, the first to recover power of speech and a strange look took over her face. "You're…wearing…a dress?

Chaya made a face. "Oh, nice smirk."

"I wasn't smirking! I was…I…had to sneeze," her best friend finished lamely.

"Oh shut up," Chaya rolled her eyes. "For the record, this wasn't my first choice of costume. I accidentally put my axe-murderer robe in the dryer last night and now it fits a doll. This was dad's idea."

"Go Mr. M," Tyson whistled, having nearly choked on the piece of straw that he had had in his mouth before.

Max returned from wherever he had run to, camera in hand and aimed at his sister. Chaya sensed his thoughts and manufactured a threatening look on her face. "Maxie, you snap one photo and I swear to the Divine that will be the last light you'll ever see."

Her brother stood still for a moment, as though pondering, and then grinned at her, snapping the picture quickly and hurried back out of the room, yelling, "Worth it!"

Chaya blinked the stars of the flash out of her eyes and then let out a loud shout of 'MAX!' before taking off after him to the goading shouts of her friends.

(-)

"Trick or treat!"

"Aren't you kids a little too old to be doing this?" the woman at the door asked the gang as she handed out a few treats, giving them all frowning looks.

"Not until we graduate," Chaya beamed cheerfully. She was in an immensely good mood, considering she had been getting the most candy of the evening. She wasn't sure whether it as because she looked younger, or whether people were impressed that she was brave enough to go outside dressed as she was. Either way, she was on her way to a sugar high that night whether her friends liked it or not.

Ray told her it was because of her small stature and not her charming personality.

"You're just jealous," she stuck her tongue out. "Being short looks good on me, but you look like a midget."

The group turned the corner of North Mueller Avenue, and stopped for a moment, considering each other. Each teen held a rather hefty sack of candy in their arms. Chaya glanced down the street, and then down at her watch, before asking, "So. How about another block?"

"Nah, Tyson and I are dog-tired," Max said apologetically, his statement being encouraged by the nodding of the scarecrow-clad boy's head. "All this candy is getting heavy. We need to go deplete our stocks. We'll meet you at home?"

"Wimp," Chaya scoffed, shaking her head with a grin. "Fine. Later!"

The group split up, waving at each other, before Max and Tyson disappeared around the corner from which they had come. Chaya regarded Ray, Miyami and Aurelia carefully, waiting for them to announce their desire to suddenly go home, but they all shrugged at her.

Miyami cleared her throat, "So, should we go up and come back down, or cut repeatedly across the street?"

Chaya opened her mouth to reply, but whatever she wanted to say was cut off by the sudden loud gunning of a motor roaring down the street towards them, before it stopped abruptly and there was a spiteful call, 'Hey Kon! You gave up your party for this?"

Chaya's smile froze on her face as she recognized the voice. It seemed her night of carefree fun with her friends was over, she thought grimly as she turned around to face none other than Kai Hiwatari, who was smirking at Ray from the back of a red 1978 Mercedes 450 SL convertible. The junior was wearing his usual leather jacket, as well as the red shirt with the shark decal that Chaya had first met him in. Ivanov and Kuznetsov sat up front, all three of which smoking up a storm.

"It's cool," Ray shrugged, and Chaya made a face at how familiarly he actually spoke to the Asshole Patrol. Then again, maybe if he was the one that did all the talking they'd leave her little group alone and let them get on with their night. "Felt like doing something different this year."

"Whatever," Kai murmured through the cigarette in his mouth. The usual sneer appeared on his face as his eyes raked over Chaya's form with subdued glee. "Doesn't suit you, Mizuhara."

"At least I can take it off, Hiwatari," she replied easily, her wishes that they go away quickly bombing before her very eyes. He faked a chuckle, but his eyes were still cold. She plastered an obviously fake smile on her face. "I didn't know you smoked."

"Didn't know you were concerned about my health," he shot back icily. "I would have thought you'd be worried about me killing other people as I kill myself."

Miyami frowned, as though sensing where this argument was going, and decided to play the peacemaker and change the subject.

"Where's your motorcycle?" she asked. "Aren't you usually racing up and down the streets on Halloween, toilet-papering from the comfort of your bike?"

This proved to be the wrong form of distraction and Chaya felt like smacking her friend upside the head for not remembering this subject was taboo.

"It's in the repair shop," the slate-haired boy said coolly, sending a meaningful glance at her. "The engine's shot and someone neutralized the gas. It's being cleaned."

Aurelia and Chaya had identical looks of innocence that no one believed on their faces.

"That sucks," Ray said, although Chaya knew that he knew she had had a hand in the sabotage of Hiwatari's bike. "Well, we should be finishing up here –"

"Why don't you come with us?" Ivanov asked suddenly, clouds of smoke spewing from his nose and mouth. The question hung in the air as the trick-or-treating group looked askance. "We're plotting a little visit to the Wicked Bitch of Bethany High," he added by way of explanation.

"I think all that weed has finally taken its toll on your brain," Chaya said in disgust, thoroughly confused by the redhead. They must be extremely high if they were even considering being in the same vehicle as her and her friends by choice.

"For once, I agree," Hiwatari spoke up. "These losers would probably rather run home to mommy. Besides. There's no room."

"Really?" Miyami shot back, her eyes flashing at the insinuation that she was afraid to do something. "As long as it doesn't include smoking up, I'm in."

"And the room issue is easily fixed," Ray nodded. "You just have to move over, Kai."

Hiwatari shrugged, even though he looked to be as against this as Chaya was. He sat up properly as Ray, Miyami and finally Aurelia climbed into the car, leaving Chaya standing angrily on the curb, looking alone and annoyed. She faced the three juniors staunchly, gritting her teeth as Ivanov smirked at her.

"Chicken, Mizuhara?" he suggested.

"Asshole, Ivanov?" came the swift reply. "I'm not sure I want to be stuck in a car with suck dickheads. Hiwatari's ego will probably kill us all."

"Cute," Hiwatari rolled his eyes. "Don't fake it, kid, you're scared shitless."

With one final glare of someone who was accepting a bitter pill, Chaya climbed over the trunk and tried to find place between Aurellia and Ray, who had Miyami sitting on his lap. She couldn't believe that she was falling for the peer pressure card. Hadn't she already decided she didn't care what people thought or her? Well…if Hiwatari could do it, so could she. He was the only exception to the rule, she decided.

Even after deciding that, however, she felt a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. This was not going to end well…

"Watch the paint!" Ivanov barked from up front, glaring through the rear-view mirror.

"Fuck it, Ivanov, it's a shitty colour anyhow...and I bet it comes with a shitty warranty---damn it, Lia, move over!"

"_Ich kann aber nicht_!" the Austrian protested indignantly. "Why don't you just sit on Hiwatari's knees? It's probably a short ride anyhow..."

Chaya looked repulsed. "I'd rather give Johnny a lap dance!"

"Could you not insult me by comparing me to that moron?" Hiwatari grumbled.

"Can we go already?" Ray complained, his voice sounding muffled and strangled from beneath Miyami. "I'm losing circulation."

"Where exactly?" Miyami piped up in a would-be-innocent way.

Hiwatari looked at her with disgust and then looked at Chaya with a note of resignation in his eyes. "It's in or out, Mizuhara. Just sit your ass down already. Like I said before; who would be interested in a train-wreck like you?"

Chaya sneered and climbed over to the older teenager, pausing for a moment to glare at him. Then she grabbed the cigarette from his mouth and threw it on the street where it smoked lazily.

Hiwatari's eyes flashed angrily. "Damn it, Mizuhara---"

"If you touch anything other than the seat, I'll cut your man-parts off and hang 'em up in the school's trophy case," she hissed, cutting him off as she shifted over onto his lap. She felt a note of complete and utter humiliation on her part. "Hands where I can see 'em."

Kai raised his hands and folded them behind his ears. With one last glare at her, she finally turned away from him and sent Miyami a murderous glance as though it had been she that had put her into such a dark predicament.

"Don't give me that," the silver haired girl warned, practically losing her vampire fangs again. "You could have stayed where you were...you and your damn pride..."

There was no response and the rest of the ride was spent in a sulky silence. The further they got away from the curb, the worse Chaya began to feel.

Twenty minutes later, the group piled out of the car in a neighbourhood near the outskirts of town. Chaya looked around at the unfamiliar buildings, wondering where exactly they were. The neighbourhood was a well-off one, which made her wonder exactly where the school funds that Clarkson constantly had them donating to were actually going.

"What exactly are we doing?" Chaya asked suspiciously, when she saw Ivanov slip around the car, open the trunk and take a long coil of rope from within. A hand reached over her mouth, the force sending her backwards into Kai's leather clad chest.

"If you can't talk quietly, you should get your ass out of here," his harsh voice hissed into her ear, causing goose bumps to appear over her neck at the heat of his breath on her cold skin.

Anger cursing through her at the fact that he had dared touch her, she elbowed him hard in the solar plexus, relishing in the satisfying curse of pain from behind her.

"Touch me again and I'll beat the crap out of you," she promised in a low voice, rounding on him.

Hiwatari shrugged, and then pushed past her to join his companion.

"I think you guys should stay in the car in case we need to make a snappy get away," Ivanov was saying.

"No way in friggen hell, buddy, you brought us along to do something, so let us in on it!" Miyami shot back. "Besides, I'm the best at defacing things and not getting caught."

"_Ja_, we are all in on it," Aurelia nodded.

Chaya hesitated for a moment, hating the situation. She had been stupid to come along with them, giving into peer pressure. She wasn't going to let that screw her night up even more. Resolutely, she said. "Not me." The other teenagers looked at her askance and she shrugged. "I don't think it's safe to be in a dark place with Hiwatari."

"Aw, come on Chays, it'll be –"

"A double blow to my gut-instincts which are telling me to plant my ass here and not go anywhere with you guys. I should have listened to them in the beginning."

"You're such a chicken," Ivanov scoffed and Chaya glared.

"Okay, that worked too many times tonight already, it's not working again. Go do whatever the hell you want to do, I'm staying here and then you're taking me home. Got it?"

"And you think this…why?"

She narrowed her eyes. "If you ever want to even think about driving this car again, you'll be bringing me home. I can do so much damage that you'll be paying it off until your grandkids need cars – and I can do it without leaving proof behind too."

"You're talking shit."

"How much you want to bet on that?"

Ivanov regarded her coolly for a long moment, before shrugging. "Fine." He pointed at Kuznetsov. "You, stay here and make sure she doesn't touch my car. And you're driving if we need to get away."

The silent boy shrugged, slowly slumping forward and sitting heavily in the drivers seat, inhaling deeply from his lit joint. Chaya felt the alarm bells go off in her head and rounded on Ivanov again.

"_But he's stoned_!" she hissed.

"And you're annoying. Don't see us complaining," Hiwatari mumbled, motioning for the others to follow him. She glared at the retreating backs of her friends and enemies', ignoring Miyami and Ray's imploring looks, and Aurelia's doubtful one before she followed the others. The shadows and trees swallowed up their forms and Chaya turned back to the lone car with the teenager who was still sitting in the drivers seat, his head lolling from side to side as he stared up at the stars.

'Hell no,' she thought grimly, marching up to the front seat and yanking open the door. "You. Out. Now."

The lavender-haired teen cracked an eye open at her, raising an eyebrow as though to tell her to screw off. She didn't even bother with his silence, suddenly realizing she had never, ever heard Bryan Kuznetsov speak before. It was a little unnerving…but not so much that she was going to let this stoner drive and kill them all. "I mean it. Get your ass over into the passenger-seat; you're not fit to even walk, let alone drive."

His eyes narrowed and she put her hands on her hips. "Do you _want_ me to physically move you? Because I will."

Obviously Kuznetsov was a faster learner than both Hiwatari and Ivanov, because after another sardonic look in her direction, he shifted over the stick shift and got comfortable in the passenger seat, refusing to look at her as she slipped into the car and closed the door after her.

For a moment she merely sat still, before she reached down to the levers that controlled the seat's height and proximity to the steering wheel and then started to move the rear-view mirror – when she suddenly stopped stock-still. Something had caught her eye that made her freeze. "It's standard."

The look Kuznetsov sent was one that almost said 'your point?'. She narrowed her eyes and pointed at the stick shift. "It's manual transmission. I can't drive manual, I never learned." He shrugged. She glared. "You know, talking to you is like talking to a wall."

He shrugged again.

She swore and turned back to the problem at hand, glaring angrily at the offending stick shift as though it had purposefully been created the way it was, just to annoy her.

She had never legally driven before – and if she did it was when her mother was around and her father let her drive his Passat – which was an automatic. She'd only ever watched people drive standard transmission cars, possibly seen a few diagrams of the basics, but never done it herself.

Of course, fate being what it was and reality sucking as it did, the crew chose that exact moment to make their appearance. Chaya noticed in the bottom of the rear-view mirror that the five teens were hurrying back, grins of mischief on their faces, a dark gleam of malice in Hiwatari's eyes.

Chaya swore and reached up to adjust the mirror so that she could actually see in back of her. She didn't have time to do anything else before Ray was yelling, "Go!" and they were piling into the back of the car, comically falling into a heap.

"What the hell are you doing!" Tala yelled furiously. "You don't have a licence!"

"You don't have a brain!" she snapped back, looking down to the stick shift warily again. Doubtfully, and amidst the 'hurry up's' from her friends, she growled and stepped onto the brake pedal and tried to shift into neutral gear, but nothing happened. She tried again.

"For gods' sake, Mizuhara, release the damned clutch," Hiwatari barked from somewhere behind her. She jumped, but did as she was told, trying to get the little pedal that was the clutch to move upwards and then gunning the engine and shifting to first gear. Swearing in a steady steam under her breath, she switched her right foot to the gas petal and the car shot forward. She squeaked, nearly letting go of the wheel and the stick shift, but felt a hand encompass her own in a tightly painful way. Nicotine laced breath in her ear; Hiwatari's voice was more deadly than usual. "Get the clutch all the way up and for gods' sake watch the damn road, you're going to hit that median!"

The Benz swerved, narrowly missing the curb and she could hear Ivanov swearing at her in the background. They skidded around the corner to the street behind Clarkson's before Hiwatari ordered her to stop and get out.

"What the hell do you mean, 'get out?'" she demanded, even as she was pushed out of the car by Ivanov, who slipped into the drivers seat. "You had more of a chance dying from stoner boy over there than from my bad driving!"

"Bullshit, you could have killed my car," Ivanov groused.

"It's not a living thing, you moron," she rolled her eyes. "What the hell did you do, anyway?"

"Why don't you take a peak," Hiwatari suggested, nodding to one of the fences near-by. I'm pretty sure you can still see from here.

Narrowing her eyes and watching the three pot-heads suspiciously, she tried to fight off the curiosity. She still felt that horrible kick in the gut at what was going on and at not being home, but she couldn't help but wanting to see what they had done to Clarkson/

So, with a resigned sigh, she slowly skulked off and approached the large wooden fence that separated one street from the other. The corner of the street provided a good hide-out and good view of Clarkson's front yard, considering that she was hidden behind a huge mailbox and tree. The only thing she really needed to watch out for was the particularly large mud-puddle in the corner of the road.

Clarkson's home was extremely well-done for one whose owner was someone on a teacher's salary. The white brick house had two stories and there was a two door garage as well. A well-groomed garden and nicely finished wood panelled windows added a stylistic flare to the home.

The pretty little picture was marred only by the humorous looking figure of Clarkson herself, who seemed to be tied to the large oak tree in front of her house with a combination of the rope and toilet paper. Her hair was in curlers and she wore a face-mask that would scare small children if they came too close and she seemed to be yelling angrily through what appeared to be an apple.

Chaya tried not to laugh. She tried to feel guilty and sympathetic towards the older woman who was fruitlessly fighting against the rope and the tree. But the memories of all the long, tortuous episodes she had had to undergo and deal with were enough to make her feel a little justified.

She doubled up with silent laughter.

After a short time, she smirked and turned around and was suddenly hit with a mouthful of mud and dirt, the sound of squealing tires all she could hear.

As soon as she managed to blink the muck from her eyes, she saw the retreating view of the Mercedes. Hiwatari was leaning out back and waving, while her friends seemed to try to get Ivanov to pull over.

For a moment she simply stood still in shock, before anger bubbled up within her and she could feel the searing heat of embarrassment and rage flooding to her face.

"Hiwatari, I swear I'm going to fucking kill you!" she shouted loudly. "That's a promise!"

>0

TBC

R&R please!

Note: Okay, anyone reading this hear me once and for all: I am not a car expert, I'm a car enthusiast. I've only recently managed to bully my dad into teaching me basic mechanics and car parts so don't expect all of my information to be exceedingly correct or my descriptions to be 100 percent perfect. I'm pretty much talking out of my ass here until I can get the perfect way to describe it from my dad – which is like trying to pull teeth from a hen. Secondly, I've not yet driven a car with manual transmission. My dad seems to think I'd be a menace to society if I didn't start with automatic, so…there we go. Any angered corrections about my car lingo…I'll probably ignore


	20. Swamp Ghost

___**Drowning in the Clouds**_

_Author:_ KuriQuinn

_Title:_ Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom:_ Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all

_Fanfiction Disclaimer:_ Chaya is my own creation, as is Haley, Jennifer, Claire and anyone else that you don't recognize. Miyami Kinomiya belongs to Mags, my best friend. Aurelia Delk belongs to Band-Freak aka Lobo-Chan. And that is all for now...Flash Jameson belongs to Flash, Iris Messana belongs to Iz

_Rating:_ R for language, mature themes and possible violence in later chapters

_Pairing:_ Figure it out.

_Takes-Place:_ Alternate Universe

_Summary:_ Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

_Note:_ This chapter was originally written while I was in Austria on student exchange. Just thought you might want to know that...

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen: Swamp Ghost **

The office was small and cramped, and although less so than Clarkson's back at school, the lack of furniture and color on the walls made Chaya's stomach leap. She felt a strange sensation at the back of her mind, one of complete disbelief as well as dislocation from reality.

Inspector Sheridan was a lean, balding man of fifty, with watery blue eyes and a weak jaw. He was looking down at Chaya severely and Chaya realized with a twinge of disbelief that he was the same office that had 'escorted' her home that night a few weeks earlier when she had broken the hypothetical curfew.

To her left, Rosann Clarkson stood by, looking triumphant and more confident now that she was properly dressed and groomed, her hair solid mass once again, and no longer tied to a tree. She was sending Chaya looks of seething hatred, but the girl ignored them, maintaining that she was not guilty of anything. Well, practically anything. She felt half angry and half grateful towards the meddling neighbor that had heard Clarkson's muffled screams (once she managed to spit the apple out of her mouth) and noticed Chaya seething in the streets, sopping with muck and swearing. The calls to her parents and the police, however, had not been pleasant.

Nor was it pleasant when Clarkson regaled them all with her tale of how she had gone to answer the doorbell when she was ambushed from behind and assaulted, before being tied to a tree like some common animal. Privately, Chaya felt that Clarkson was exaggerating the tiniest bit, but knew better than to say anything just then.

"So, let's go over this again, Chaya," the man said in a painfully calm voice. "You were trick-or-treating, fifteen blocks away from your own neighborhood and just happened to be in the same area as your vice principal who was tied to a tree and assaulted?"

"No, I'm saying that I'm a purple hippopotamus with commitment issues – of course that's what I'm saying," she grumbled, her ire at tonight's happenings annoying her beyond reasonable thinking. "Didn't I just say it?"

"For God's sake, Chaya," her mother growled, though her lips stayed in a thing and immaculate line of lipstick. She looked murderously infuriated, especially considering the circumstances as to why she was now sitting with her daughter in the colorless police office.

"This girl has had it in for me the minute she entered this town," Clarkson was accusing her. "I demand to see some sort of punishment for her behavior, however corporal that may become."

"For the record, I only met you two weeks after I got to this town," Chaya mumbled, really more to herself than to anyone else, but was silenced by her mother's gaze. There was always something to be said for Judy when she was angry…but Chaya was too scared to actually say it.

"Ma'am," Judy Mizuhara began, her tone intensely respectful. For a moment Chaya was at a loss as to why, and then she remembered that her father and mother had both attended Bethany High School. Meaning they too had been under Clarkson's jurisdiction for a time. "I apologize profusely for my daughter's behavior – I was quite sure we had made you and Mr. Dickinson aware of them when we first enrolled her and Max this year –" Clarkson sniffed angrily, "What I am most disappointed about is the way she has been acting since we arrived here." Her mother sent her a frosty glare. "I was under the impression that we had taught you right from wrong at a young age."

"Well apparently being a teenager automatically tosses me into the same category as thieves, druggies and rapists," Chaya replied before she could stop herself.

"Don't you dare talk to me with that tone of voice," Judy ordered. "When I was your age, if I ever even looked at my parents the wrong way I had my face rearranged."

Chaya fell silent once again, and the officer seemed to take this as an inclination for him to speak once again. "Young lady, just a question, but what seems to be your affinity for trouble. Didn't I warn you against getting in with the wrong crowd a few weeks ago?" Obviously the officer remembered her better than she thought. "There are worse things than being an honorable and law-upholding citizen."

"Betcha it's a short list."

"Chaya!" her mother exclaimed angrily.

Clarkson glared more strongly. "Just give me a reason to have you expelled, Miss Mizuhara, just one reason."

'How about because you're a tiny, impotent Nazi with a bug up your ass the size of an emu?' Chaya pursed her lips tightly together so as not to answer the woman's obvious attempt to bait her. If she had spoken out loud, she was sure she'd be punished with more than just suspension…

"I think I speak for Chaya when I say that she is very sorry," Judy put the warning emphasis on the last two words. "And I were personally see to it that she's severely punished for what she did tonight – and she will never act in such a way again. Isn't that right, Chaya-Amelia?"

Chaya winced as her mother used her full name in the tone that suggested she was beyond unimpressed and angry. She couldn't do anything else but nod, hoping that the look on her mothers face was one of satisfaction. Her mother then cleared her throat once again and looked pointedly at Ms. Clarkson. "That being said, being punished for just having been out late near your house is really not reasonable.

The officer nodded, as though relieved that he could wash his hands on the situation. Clarkson looked as though she was fighting a furious battle inside, before a smug look appeared on her grotesque face. "I understand your reluctance at believing Chaya guilty, but perhaps you could clear something up for me. So far we have just treated your daughter as the guilty party, and perhaps she's completely innocent. But I seem to recall her calling out – quite vulgarly, too – a few names. It could be someone completely different."

Chaya tensed, looking up at her mother and the other two adults. This was the point where everything could go well for her or worse. She was betting on the worse. 'Damn it, why couldn't Clarkson be going deaf!'

If she said anything about there being other people there, she would implicate herself as well as them. If she said there was no one around but her, she was implicated even more. Great.

"One particular one was a certain Kai Hiwatari."

Chaya winced again. Damn Clarkson's perception…now if she said anything about Hiwatari, everyone would think she was lying. Even her more often than not absent mother knew about her less than friendly relationship with the Hiwatari boy.

"Kai Hiwatari?" the officer raised his eyebrow. "That kid has a file all to himself…" He looked beadily at Chay. "Why would you be hanging around with a no-good kid like that?"

"What's even more suspicious is the fact that she was," Clarkson smirked, not giving Chaya even the slightest chance to reply. "When almost everyone knows that Miss Mizuhara and Mr. Hiwitari would rather take poison than willingly be in each other's company…isn't that right, Chaya-Amelia?"

"Damn it, my name is CHAYA!" the teen yelled, leaping up. Her mother's hand tightened around her shoulder and pushed her down again into her chair, as though to tell her that she behave herself. She knew perfectly well that her outburst was not appreciated.

"What were you really doing at my home?" Clarkson demanded. The officer stood behind, forgotten as he listened to the accusations the older woman was throwing at the girl. The blonde's face has heated up and she was glaring furiously at her vice principal. She thought she was _so_ smart? Well Chaya was now losing her patience…

"You want to know the deal?" Chaya snapped. "Alright, let's see…trick-or-treating at my house. Next thing I know, Hiwatari, Ivanov and Kuznetsov---"

"There were more people involved in this?" the officer asked. "Those names sound familiar---"

"Duh, they're Hiwatari's lap dogs," Chaya rolled her eyes, purposefully omitting the names of her friends from the story. "Anyhow, they dare me to come along with them and they drive out here. So I do because I was an idiot – but then I started feeling that whole gut feeling that I was doing something stupid and wrong, so when we got there I told them I wanted to go home – and they left me in the car with Kuznetsov, who was going to be the get-away driver, but he was stoned so I made him move so that I could drive us safely – "

"You were driving without a license!" this was from both her mother and the police officer.

"- and it was a really ugly model too – and so they were all yelling at because I don't know how to drive standard and I nearly crashed and then Hiwatari kicked me out so he could take over and when I wasn't looking he drove off and I ended up seeing what they had done to Clarkson and it was a priceless shot of her too---should have had my camera---anyhoo, that's when Hiwatari drove past and schmucked me with the muck. Happy?"

There was a pause of silence from them all.

"Why did you go with him if you hate him so much?" the officer asked, albeit hesitating.

"I don't back out on challenges unless they're to take drugs, drink, smokes or sex," the girls replied. "Can I go home now?"

(-)

"You get upstairs right now, young lady, you are grounded for the next two weeks! Months! Years!" Judy was still yelling up the stairs as Chaya got out of the bathroom, her hair cleaned of the muck that had been splattered all over her. Her make-up was gone and the rest of her costume had been tossed into the recesses of the clothing hamper. "Chaya-Amelia, I don't want to hear any music coming out of that room, you're to go to bed – and tomorrow we're going to discuss whether Aurelia will stay here or go to some house where there's less misbehaving!" 

"I heard you in the car on the way home!" Chaya yelled back down. "Three times! I think it already sunk in!"

She stomped up across the small hall and slammed the door to her room, not bothering to listen to her mothers yells about how she'd be smacked upside the head and thrown out of the house if she gave her anymore attitude. It was just more of the same, really.

As she looked over, Aurelia jumped up, already in her pajamas and waiting on the top bunk of the bed.

"You're okay?" she cried. "Hiwatari only let us get out of the car two blocks away from here…Miyami and I tried to stop him, but…"

"Don't worry, I know it's not your fault," Chaya said wearily. "Where are Miyami and Ray?"

"Your dad drove them home," Aurelia said. "He didn't seem impressed when he heard de news about you…"

"Great," Chaya groaned as she dug around her room for a pair of boxers and a t-shirt. She finally grabbed her AFI t-shirt from what was supposedly the laundry pile and began getting changed.

"So what did de police ask you?"

"Don't worry, kid, I didn't say anything incriminating about you," the blond grinned as she slipped into bed. Aurelia breathed out a sigh of relief and turned the light out. She heard Chaya growl on the bunk beneath her. "Monday, Hiwitari is going to pay for what he did to me!"

* * *

Yes, it was horribly short, but this chapter really, really is just leading up to the next one, so you don't have to leave me comments about how frigging short it is. I know, it has annoyed me, but it will stay this way – so nyah, nyah!

R&R please,

KuriQuinn


	21. Fall in Line

___**Drowning in the Clouds**_

_Author:_ KuriQuinn

_Title:_ Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom:_ Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all

_Fanfiction Disclaimer:_ Chaya is my own creation, as is Haley, Jennifer, Claire and anyone else that you don't recognize. Miyami Kinomiya belongs to Mags, my best friend. Aurelia Delk belongs to Band-Freak aka Lobo-Chan. And that is all for now...Flash Jameson belongs to Flash, Iris Messana belongs to Iz

_Rating:_ R for language, mature themes and possible violence in later chapters

_Pairing:_ Figure it out.

_Takes-Place:_ Alternate Universe

_Summary:_ Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Twenty: Fall in Line **

The way Chaya marched to school the following day was reminiscent of a woman on a mission, one that no one that she encountered wanted to get in the way of. She could still feel the seething anger from the night before flowing through her entire body, despite all of her attempts the previous night and the morning to ground herself. She felt as though all of her was on fire – and she didn't have any way of getting rid of it.

"Come on, Chays," Max was saying hurriedly as he tried to keep pace with her. Aurelia had long since lagged behind, trying not to get in the way of her American host. Chaya was doing an amazingly faster than Max despite his strides being longer than hers. "Calm down, you got back okay and you're not in that much trouble – "

"With the law, no –" she grumbled, remembering that the police officer had decided to let her off for this first offence – he had, however, added her list to possible offenders for vandalism and some other non-important offences that Chaya really didn't think mattered. And her mother had argued that since she had not committed any felony on school grounds, her vice-principal could not move to have her suspended. Of course, in turn she had been grounded… " – with Judy, yes."

"Maybe if you…slowed down and…just explained everything – got it off your chest," her brother panted as he finally caught up to her. The school loomed ahead of them as they walked, or rather marched, towards it. "You know, share your feelings on the subject? You'd feel bette – "

"Max, I don't want to share my feelings. I don't want to open up. I want to find that son-of-a-bitch Hiwatari and I want to look him in the eye," she ranted, clenching her biker gloved fists tightly together.

Her brother considered her doubtfully although he didn't reduce his speed. "And then what?"

"And then I'm going to share my feelings."

Max looked panicked, trying to grab her shoulder, but she shrugged him off as the reached the intersection in front of Bethany High. "Chays – you need to realize that you and Hiwatari have very different temperaments. He – "

"Yeah?" Chaya demanded, barely sparing her twin a glance. "Well mine's the sane one. That guy's a menace to society!"

They finally reached the court-yard of the school and she glanced around, trying to find the densest, most hidden place where the junior would be hiding himself. She saw her friends coming towards her looking both worried and relieved, obviously having thought she had spent the night wandering back from Clarkson's neighborhood, but ignored them. Miyami particularly had a look of consternation on her face as she hurried up. "Chaya! Hey – "

"Can't talk now," she said grimly, pushing past her friends and stomping across the blacktop as she recognized the hidden form of Hiwatari's little group. There were exclamations of surprise and confusion behind her, and she vaguely realized Aurelia had appeared and was filling them all in on Chaya's horrible mood. Which was growing more foul the closer she drew to Hiwatari and his posse.

She didn't even know what she was going to do. Yell at him? The guy obviously didn't react to insults or raised voices and it would just make her look like a complete moron. But what else could she do? She could threaten him with taking legal action, but what would that do?

Then why was she still walking towards him and his little corner?

"Hey Chaya, there – uh – there are a lot of them," she heard Max try again. "Maybe we you need a plan?"

"Here's the plan," Chaya snapped, striding past two shy looking freshman that were in her science class. "I go in, I start hitting people hard in the face – see where it takes me."

"Violent much," she heard Miyami behind her, out of breath as she tried to catch up with her. "Chays, come on, there's nothing that happened that's majorly –"

Chaya stopped listening, focusing on the group of juniors ahead of her. She couldn't see Hiwatari's expression, considering his back was to her, but he was listening to something Ivanov was saying, the redhead's icy blue eyes gleaming with humor. Once in a while, Hiwatari would shrug off the girl that kept trying to hang off of him, as though she was just a fly. It occurred to her once again that Hiwatari didn't have friends or girlfriends – he had followers and casual flings – he was, like she had assumed before, a loner pretending to be the center of attention.

The only one that seemed to see her coming was Kuznetsov, who was leaning against the wall of the school kitchens, puffing on his ever-present cigarette, his hands stuffed in his pockets. His eyes didn't leave her face, but he didn't move to indicate to his companions that she was coming.

Hiwatari's squeaky voiced companion (who could be heard even from where Chaya was standing) demanded some money to go buy something from the vending machine. As though he didn't want to bother with her, the slate-haired teen tossed her his wallet as though it was nothing, and Chaya caught the side of a self-satisfied smirk on his face as he barely looked at the girl.

She bounced off, and Chaya bumped her roughly as she pranced on her way towards the cafeteria. Hiwatari had turned back, oblivious to her coming, and as she neared, she caught the last end of the conversation.

"…and her face – dude that puddle maneuver was great."

"What can I say? Fate has been nice to me," Hiwatari shrugged. "But the little tart had it coming – maybe next time she'll be wearing white, though."

There was a low chuckle from Ivanov, which cut off when he noticed Chaya standing right in back of Hiwatari. The aforementioned noticed where his redheaded friend was looking and slowly turned around. All the rage and confusion over what to do when she reached the older teen had left her, and all she could think of at the moment was the feeling of her fist flying full-throttle through the air and connecting with the front of his jaw.

The taller teen staggered and feel to the ground, more out of surprise than the actual force of the blow, and stared up at her in mild shock. A lone rivulet of blood inched down his cut lip and chin.

Unfortunately for Chaya, the punch really stung her hand and she crouched over, cradling her aching knuckles, cursing in pain. "Ow! Ow, ow! Happy, but ow!"

There was a ringing silence from both their groups of friends as Hiwatari stared up at her, and then smirked, almost patronizingly. "We duke it out? This is your big strategy to get me back? You do know you have no chance of winning this." He slowly, deliberately stood so that he loomed the full five inches taller than her that he was.

"Hey, I had a plan," she said, defensive and furious.

He smirked, the gesture not reaching his eyes. "You? A plan?"

"A good one," Chaya said grimly, her entire frame tense. "Smart. Carefully laid out. A lot of really good insults and a way for it not to come back to me." He raised his eyebrow, reaching up slowly to wipe the corner of blood on his face. "But I got bored. And the way you were talking, I got pissed off."

She could hear her friends behind her, and Max making to come after her, but being stopped by Aurelia and Flash. When she stole a glance from the corner of her eye, the shorter blond boy looked as though he really wanted to interfere with what was going on as well, but also wanted to see what was going to happen next.

She focused fully on Hiwatari once again. "Pranks aren't good enough. That's old news. I can deal with that. Man-to-man. Come on, Hiwatari, I'm waiting."

He made a face at her, as though to ask if she were joking. "You're kidding me, right?" his friends hadn't moved from their places behind him and didn't look as though they were going to. Kuznetsov's cigarette had fallen from his lips. "You wouldn't last, Mizuhara. Besides, I'd feel bad about beating up a girl."

"You'd be surprised how much of a beating a girl can give," she growled, anger radiating from her. "Even if I don't win I'll get in some good hits. It'll make me feel much better about how much of a jackass you are."

He loomed closer, until he was standing less then a foot away from her, proudly looming over her. "Oh, were the little blond baby's feelings hurt?"

She couldn't help it. Her hand thrust upwards, connecting hard with Hiwatari's nose. He groaned in pain, as did the surrounding crowd, at the resounding crunch of his nose breaking. He took a step back, and as he did so, she crouched low and swung her leg around, tripping him swiftly. He thrust his arms backward to cushion his fall, but his head still hit the concrete. He groaned, the blow obviously having jarred his nose. Chaya glared down at his bloodied face, before leaning forward into a crouched position. In her place squatted over his body, she grabbed a fist-full of his bloodied shirt with her left hand, and wiped the sticky blood that had spilled on her right one onto the dry part of his shirt. She glared down, her fist raised precariously.

The chants of 'fight!' were loud in the air and there was cheering. She could hear her friends yelling at her to stop, and one or two trying to break through the crowd to reach her, but she ignored it all, the adrenaline rush sending thousands of thoughts a second her way. She hauled him up, meeting his angered glare, his eyes almost matching the color of his blood. "I'm disappointed, Hiwatari. I was expecting more from you."

"Not done yet," he grunted suddenly and she found herself suddenly flipped over, her head and shoulder smacking into the black pavement. His hands fastened loosely around her throat, and for a brief moment they both struggled against each other, trying to catch their breath. "Anything I do now is clearly self-defense, huh, Mizuhara?" She struggled, trying to free herself, but one arm let go of her throat to pin down her body. "This should be a kick."

"I violently dislike you…" After another long moment of struggling, she finally managed to move her right leg. With a sound that was half a groan, half a cry, she kneed him in the groin and released herself from his pin. As he huddled over on his side to recover, she got back to her feet, leaning over and crouching as she tried to control her panting. "Are you…afraid to hit me or something?" she sneered, waiting for him to finally stand up. The glower directed at her was truly frightening, but she forced herself not to worry about it. "Just because I'm female doesn't mean I'll break…"

"Don't flatter yourself," he grunted. She leapt forward, coming at him with a right hook, To her surprise, he caught it and twisted it to the left. She cried out, her muscles screaming in pain for a moment, before she felt her own fist connect with her own face – again – and again – and again.

After a final blow he let go over her, and she felt herself tripping backwards over a garbage can. Hiwatari's friends had finally moved it seemed. She could feel the taste of blood in her mouth but ignored it, wincing when she thought of how cracked and bleeding her lips were now. One of the hits had connected her lip with one of her teeth, which now felt loose.

She had just begun to steady herself when she felt a sharp blow to her stomach that through her into the alley wall. Momentarily stunned, her eyes blurred from the pain. She thought she saw him pause for a moment, and glared. Choking and then spitting out the blood that had collected in her mouth, she managed a vehement, "Loser!"

Growling at her, he raised his fist to land another blow, but just in time she managed to duck out of the way, hearing the painful smack of knuckles on the brick wall and the string of curses. Before he could recover, she vaulted towards him, jumping on his back and grasping him around the throat with her arms.

He made strange strangling noises, clawing at her arms to get her off of his back. "Are you…in some pathetic way…trying to kill me?"

"Nah, you're too much of a bastard for that," she snarled, hooking her legs around his torso so that he couldn't throw her off. "Just…wanna render you…unconscious…!"

Another strangled sound, before, "Not gonna happen!"

The chants were louder and more frenzied, filling the air like some sort of dense fog. Hiwatari turned around and through himself backwards at the wall, causing Chaya to hit up against it again. She winced as the wind was knocked out of her again and she vaguely noticed that her breathing was becoming labored, as though her air passage was blocked. Her hold on him loosened slightly and to her chagrin he managed to get our from under her arms.

Facing her again, she felt herself being braced against the wall by his left hand, while the other fist was poised a foot or two from her face.

"Give up?" he grinned, obviously trying to catch his breath through the blood. His eyes raked over her and she glared at him in reply as she tried to breathe again. She could see the large bruise forming on his face, and her head lolled back for a moment.

She tried to angle her legs to kick him again, but he trapped both of her legs between his own, effectively pinning her to the wall.

He shook her when she didn't reply, trying to make her focus on him. He repeated himself. "Give up?"

"Go on and hit me," she replied, opening her eyes fully and challenging him. She could dodge it. No problem…if she could move. He looked at her strangely for a moment, almost as though he was considering her for a second. She saw something flicker in his eyes, but it was gone in a second, replaced with the dilemma at hand.

He hesitated.

Her temper sparked. "Come on, you jackass, hit me! Finish this stupid fight already!"

He'd come at her with all of his might and she'd duck it and be free. It would be easy, so long as –

"MR. HIWATARI, MISS MIZUHARA! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!"

Hiwatari looked away long enough for Chaya to inch out of the way and deliver a swift blow to his knees, knocking him back onto the ground. She heard Clarkson's shouts continue as she battled across the wall of students, but was preoccupied as Hiwatari tripped her as she tried to walk around him. As she fell, her foot lashed out, the thick part of her boot jabbing into his chest, causing him to double over.

She clambered to her feet, dizzy, but somewhat confident, staring down at the junior and debating about whether she should kick him again. His glare dared her to try it, but she was saved from actually having to do anything by Clarkson, who finally managed to break through the students.

Hiwatari noticed the buxom woman and immediately scrambled to his feet, even though he remained bent over and holding on to his chest. The world was spinning around Chaya, but she ignored it, as well as the desperate feeling of her lungs trying to gain even the slightest gulp of air from the world around her.

Clarkson was yelling pointedly at the two of them, looking more furious than Chaya had seen her the night before. Most of her ire was directed at her, Chaya noticed vaguely. The words 'suspension' and 'expulsion' were popping up quite a few times actually. Somewhere at the back of her mind, a part of her was screaming loudly at her for her stupidity. Hadn't Hiwatari actually told her that anything he did after she hit him was self-defense? And she'd still done it!

Overwhelming feelings of what was going on finally sunk in and she looked around, taking in the blur of gaping faces. Her head felt heavy and she still couldn't manage to get enough air. Hiwatari was staring at her strangely. She glared, waiting for him to interrupt Clarkson and tell her he was an innocent party so that she could be sent away to some reform school somewhere – or whatever the woman was going on about at this point – but it didn't come.

Her head really hurt. Everything hurt. And trying to look as though nothing had happened was much more effort than it should have been. Clarkson was yelling even louder now, as though she noticed neither Chaya nor Hiwatari were actually paying an attention to her. "And how do you two explain this, hm? This is a school, not a –"

And suddenly, for some reason, Chaya was on the ground, barely noticing the pitching forward movement and she was blinking her eyes open just as she felt someone catch her – before that someone was pushed off and she was looking up at Ray uncomprehendingly. What was he doing here? She didn't remember having seen him around before. She was being laid out flat on the ground and something was said about getting her inhaler and the school nurse. And Ray was cursing Hiwatari out over getting her into this condition!

She wanted to laugh but considering she couldn't breathe at the moment, it was probably not a very wise idea. Her friends and brother were all gathered around her and Clarkson was still yelling in the background and – yow, goddamn it, what did Ray just touch! The back of her head blistered in pain sending white-hot shocks through her senses. Hiwatari must have really smacked her hard against the wall…

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, Hiwitari?" Ray was yelling, his voice sounding strange in the bubbly world Chaya currently inhabited. "You shouldn't have taken her seriously!"

A slight prickle of anger sounded inside of her. Why, because she was a weak woman, she wanted to jab sarcastically.

"I didn't see you in the audience to hold her back," was the sarcastic reply.

"And come out looking like you?" Miyami said coolly somewhere and her face loomed above Chaya's as she appeared next to Ray. "No thanks. She may be out of it, dude, but you're the one that looks like you've stepped on a land-mine."

Ray was gripping onto her tightly and she winced when he unknowingly put pressure on her bruises. In the world that was swimming around Chaya's head she heard him say quite a few rather explicit things to the slate-haired junior that she would never have thought possible of Ray.

Clarkson, in the meantime was still yammering away, now even more so because she knew that no one was paying attention to her. "…the last straw! Suspension is in order…Mr. Hiwatari, you're to come with me right away and as soon asMiss Mizuhara wakes up and has been checked over by our nurse, she is to report to me…"

"Wakes up?' Chaya thought grimly as she looked around her at the spinning world. 'I'm not even asleep! But screw that, what if there's something wrong with me – '

"You're not even going to send her to a hospital, are you?" Hiwatari's voice said in and she was sure she could detect a note of disgust in it. "She could have a concussion or something."

"What do you care?" Ray demanded, interrupting him and again tightening his hold on her. This time she visibly winced and swore out loud, drawing attention to herself. As her friends clamored around her, she shook her head, trying to wave them off. "Come on guys…my head already feels like it was run over with a panzer…"

"It was your own fault!" Miyami rounded on Chaya, her voice loud and angry in Chaya's ears. She was sure that if they could, her ear-drums would probably have shattered. "What the hell were you thinking, attacking him? He's bigger than you! By a lot!"

"Well, you know what they say," Chaya mused dazedly as Miyami lent her friend her shoulder and they stood her up, "the bigger they are, the harder they fall…"

Her friends were all around her, helping her walk. Her breathing was still labored and difficult, but she could see Max running her way, her asthma pump in hand. Everything would be alright. Somehow. If the legal ramifications of her actions didn't completely ruin her life.

As she walked, she forced herself to stay conscious. She'd already had enough public down-time, she wouldn't let it happen again!

The whispers in the crowd was like hissing snakes, but she tried to ignore them all. All she needed now was for someone to dump her down on a couch, even if it was the extremely uncomfortable ironing board one in Clarkson's office…

* * *

Ah, my favorite chapter ever. It helped to write it today because I was already in a bad mood…

Oh well, review please!

Kuriness


	22. The Push of a Button

___**Drowning in the Clouds**_

_Author:_ KuriQuinn

_Title:_ Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom:_ Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all

_Fanfiction Disclaimer:_ Chaya is my own creation, as is Haley, Jennifer, Claire and anyone else that you don't recognize. Miyami Kinomiya belongs to Mags, my best friend. Aurelia Delk belongs to Band-Freak aka Lobo-Chan. And that is all for now...Flash Jameson belongs to Flash, Iris Messana belongs to Iz

_Rating:_ R for language, mature themes and possible violence in later chapters

_Pairing:_ Figure it out.

_Takes-Place:_ Alternate Universe

_Summary:_ Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-one: The Push of a Button**

"Ladies and gents, it's with great regret that I must inform you…" Riley trailed off, his face somber enough to match his sullen voice. Everyone in the class perked up to what he was saying, instant worry flashing through everyone's minds, "that I'm handing out your exam schedules." There was a torrent of groans that punctuated his statement and he grinned. "I'm also attaching another sheet to the exam schedule – it's the outline to your December exam. Look it over – next class I'll take five or ten minutes to go over it with you."

"Why didn't you give them out before?" Chaya demanded from the back of the class, moaning dramatically.

"I didn't think it was important," Riley shrugged, although the grin, almost as evil as something that would be on Miyami's or Chaya's face, slowly widened over his face.

"We understand," Tyson grumbled as he was passed the two slips of paper with all of the exam times listed and glared down at it angrily. "It wasn't about you."

Chaya frowned at her history exam outline, noticing that there was going to be an essay worth twenty-percent at the end. Looking up, she raised her hand, but was speaking even before he nodded to her, "How long is the essay going to be?"

"It should be a good length. About two-hundred and fifty to three-hundred words. Try not to go over-board, right guys? It's not like I'm going to count the words – I have a life." There was an amused silence in the class, and their teacher rolled his eyes. "Very funny. But whatever – look, I already told you that I'll go over it next class. I don't need everyone's Dutch uncle and their pet duck asking me questions now. It's my last class of the week, I refuse to be annoyed."

There was a chorus of laughter from all ends of the class, before Riley waved everyone to be quiet. "I also want you guys to remember that it's Aurelia's last week in our class she leaves – when, next Monday?" he looked over at Chaya expectantly.

"Yeah," she replied, suddenly remembering the bad news of the day.

She couldn't believe that nearly a month had gone by. It wasn't just Aurelia's leaving Bethany – it was that she had actually managed to stay in the school and town long enough without her parents considering moving her somewhere else. Schools had never been her strong-point – she remembered back in Montreal how she had been to three different high-schools in two years, including an all girls school with a few unbearable teachers…in fact, one of them had been disturbingly like Clarkson.

"On a happier note," Riley was saying and Chaya tuned back into his words, "because Halloween just passed, the student council's decided to hold a dance this Saturday – "

"This Saturday!"

"Why did you wait until two days before to tell us?"

"Are you kidding? Halloween's over! This is sacrilege!"

The entire class sent an array of very strange looks in the direction of Chaya and her friends. Most of them looked unimpressed at their outbursts, and Chaya realized once again how much of a nerd she could be. Not that Miyami and Tyson were doing any different at the moment – and Max was just hiding his face pretending not to know any of them. Nothing different from usual, but…still.

The bell rang and the students all jumped to their feet, talking breaking out amongst them in loud and obtrusive voices.

"Ladies, try not to wear anything _too_ revealing!" their history teacher called out after them. Chaya and her friends snorted, knowing full-well how that advice was going to be taken: not at all.

"Hey Chaya, you might want to start wearing make-up to hide that shiner," Claire's snide voice remarked as Chaya gathered her books into a heap and shoved them into her bag, not really caring if her math homework stencils were getting squashed. She looked up at the brown haired girl for a moment and then plastered the usual fake smile she reserved just for Claire.

"Hey Claire? You might want to shut up before you have one too – then you'll actually _have_ to wear make-up." She paused, looking at Claire as though to consider her. "Oh wait, your natural face is peeking through – I take it back."

Claire glared at her, struggling to come up with something to counter that, before falling back on a weak "bitch!" and disappeared through the classroom door, her nameless cronies that Chaya didn't even care about knowing following behind her.

Chaya rolled her eyes at them and then turned back to Miyami, who was grinning at her. "Feel better?"

"Much," the blond replied, finally hoisting her over-stuffed bag over her shoulder and stepping towards the door.

It had been a week since The Fight, as it would go down in the student body gossip that everyone nicknamed 'Teen Beat'. Even though Chaya had most definitely lost the fight, for some reason, she didn't feel like she was being seen as a loser by anyone (not that it would have mattered if they did see her as one). She had known she wouldn't stand a chance, considering that Hiwatari was half a head taller than her and stronger, but had still gone into the thing. Maybe that was what the other students were fixated on. Somehow the knowledge that a short, shrimpy blond girl without a muscle to her name had (stupidly) attacked the school bad-boy seemed almost unheard of.

The story of her Halloween adventure broke out after the fight and was subjected to the broken-telephone effect, causing the biggest legend about Kai Hiwatari trying to run over Chaya with a hummer and then her breaking his bones in five places the next day and him putting her into the intensive care unit.

"Hey Yami, got a spare bus ticket?"

"Nah, why?"

"Because it's cold outside and I don't feel like going home alone –my stupid volleyball coach decided to cancel practice. Can you walk with me?"

"Sorry dudette, Tyson and me have a huge family of idiots to hurry home to – my mom's family showed up unannounced. I've got to babysit my two demonic cousins."

Chaya smirked. "Trust me, they could learn a thing or two from Ying."

"Oh, didn't you know? They're from the same coven."

The two girls laughed.

"Bye Chaya, bye 'Yami!" Haley and Jenn chorused as they passed by, waving. The two of them waved back, before Miyami turned to Chaya curiously.

"So, you going to the dance?"

"Not that I know of," Chaya replied as they neared the exit. "Aurelia might want to though, but what's the point? I heard that the only good ones are the senior dances because the teachers let more things go. Sometimes they even skip chaperone duty."

"Speaking of…where is Aurelia?"

"In the Mizuhara House of Sickness," Chaya said grimly. "Max woke up today with the flu and Lia had a migraine. Then we have my parents, who are sick in the head---do you know that Judy wasn't even worried about me being hurt after the fight? She was too busy calling her lawyers to see if Hiwatari had a case against us and vice versa."

"Well…not that I'm really surprised, you did attack him. Can't he technically sue you? You know, being the grandson of that Oreskovic guy?"

"Of course he can," Chaya made a face. "Which is precisely why I'm scared shitless because nothing's happened yet! No angry telephone calls, letters or random appearances at all. If Hiwatari didn't look at me like he wanted to murder me every time I see him, I'd think nothing happened."

"That's messed up," her silver-haired friend snorted as they came to the intersection of the two hallways. "Right, so I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Duh," Chaya rolled her eyes.

"And you'll think about coming to the dance with me, right? They've got Johnny's band for the first fifteen minutes and I want to see how he does."

"Johnny's band?" Chaya replied incredulously. "They're playing?"

"No, Chays, they're gonna be clog dancing."

Chaya's eyes widened. "Johnny can clog dance?" She received a disgusted look from Miyami. "Oh. Sarcasm. Right. Heh heh?"

Her best friend snorted and shook her head. "You're such a moron. Anyway – see you."

The two teens hugged before they went in their separate directions. Chaya's way brought her past the school kitchens, and she eyed the place of the fight warily, wondering absently if there was still a spot of blood on the wall where Hiwatari had bashed her head the other day. She had been lucky that she hadn't needed stitches anywhere – of course what had really annoyed her had been the fact that her body had decided to pull an asthma attack in the middle of the fight which had resulted in her defeat being worse than it should have been.

She saw Flash and Iris walking towards the bus across the way and waved to them.

She was just reaching the corner, getting ready to cross across the employee parking-lot, when she suddenly heard a loud, long string of curses from the side street. She paused for a moment, raising an eyebrow at the familiar voice and peeked around the corner of the school.

She nearly laughed out loud when she realized what she was seeing.

Tala Ivanov was leaning over the smoking hood of his car, swearing, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. He looked agitated, and the muscles in his neck were visibly tensed. Hiwatari was sitting, or rather leaning, against the left-front wheel, staring up at the sky with a look of irritation. The swelling in his face had finally gone down, but he still wore a bandage across the bridge of his nose to keep it in place. Chaya felt a grim spurt of pride at having done some type of damage to him – and it was "his beautiful face" too, as some of the fawning girl cliques that she passed in the hallway tended to call it.

Chaya pulled back around the corner, leaning against the wall for a moment. She didn't want to have to be within throwing distance of those two jerks, but neither did she want to walk all the way around the school again just to be able to walk down North Mueller to get home.

"You think you can get off your ass and help me, Hiwatari?" Ivanov was demanded furiously, pausing only for a moment.

'Probably to blow smoke out of his mouth,' she thought grimly.

"I already told you, I don't know shit about cars," the voice of the slate-haired boy snapped. "Why don't you call a tow truck?"

"Because this thing was just there last week because I crashed it - I told Angela that it was just getting repaired – if she finds out that I've been to the shop again, she'll find out I crashed it before and I'll be royally screwed."

Hiwatari grunted. "Isn't her new squeeze some kind of mechanic?"

"Mike? They broke up – and he was a motorcycle mechanic. Not the same thing."

"He probably knows more than you do…"

"Shut up, man, just shut up."

Shaking her head and smirking, Chaya finally decided that she wasn't going to run around and play the avoiding game just because of two morons. She appeared from behind the school, passing by the side road where the two juniors were languishing. Hiwatari was the first to notice her and sent her a hate-filled glare, which she didn't bother ignoring and returned just as strong.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ivanov snarled as he too spotted her. He was now leaning over the still smoking engine, his hands hesitant above the inner depths of the car. She grimaced at him, debating with herself about replying, and then smirked, her eyes falling on the smoking car.

"Going home," she replied smartly, "which is more than I can say for you."

"Fuck you."

She smirked at him, stopping for a moment to enjoy her taunting. It was a small reward, but she relished in it greatly. "You haven't got a clue what you're doing, huh?"

"Oh, and you do?" the redhead deadpanned, his icy eyes looking her over judgingly.

"Maybe," she shrugged and left the word hanging in the air. With a grin to herself, she started back on the way home, the small victory pacifying for a moment. She had nearly reached the end of the side-street and turned the corner when a hand suddenly landed on her shoulder. With a loud yell of surprise she jutted her elbow backwards, thinking she was being attacked and was rewarded with her elbow hitting a toned chest and a loud curse of pain.

Turning around, she caught sight of Ivanov bent over, swearing in a steady stream of curses and glaring at her. She didn't spare him any pity. "You deserved that."

"Why? I didn't do anything!" he growled. She raised an eyebrow and her mind flew back to that night a month ago at Ray's birthday when he had threatened to knock over the portable bathroom she had been trapped in. Nothing in deed.

"You're a prick."

"I've always been a prick, that's no excuse to hit me," he mumbled, finally managing to straighten up and regard her again. She felt her face heat up as though he was analyzing her and self-consciously crossed her arms.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Were you some kind of vulture in a past life?"

He ignored her and pointed in back of him. "So you think you can fix that heap of junk? Or are you just bullshitting?"

She stared at him, her mouth gaping. "What? Why? None of your business!"

He shrugged and turned back to Hiwatari, who seemed to be watching the entire interchange like some kind of lion, waiting to pounce. It unnerved her a little. "You're right, Kai, she's full of it. Probably doesn't know the difference between a Benz and a Honda."

The redhead sauntered back to his car, while Chaya remained as still as a statue for a moment. Her mind ran over his words and she felt a wave of indignation and anger wash over her. Her fists clenched. 'Not know the difference between a Benz and a Honda? Not know the difference! HOW WOULD I NOT KNOW THE DIFFERENCE! – Calm down, idiot, he's just trying to bait you and – well it's working!'

She really tried to ignore him. She tried to pretend she hadn't seen either of the losers and that she was just walking home from school, as though nothing happened, and couldn't wait to get back into her room and listen to her new AFI CD and possibly go on the computer – she really did try.

But she failed, and before she knew it, she was marching up behind Ivanov, a murderous look in her eyes. "Not know the difference between Honda and a Mercedes, are you insane? Even my blind great-uncle could tell the difference between those two cars – they were made by two different countries, you moron! And any idiot knows that the first Mercedes was recognized in 1900 – Honda only started to make cars in the nineteen-sixties! And Mercedes almost always has better quality everything. And as for the new models – have you seen the new CLK 55? The only issues I have with it are that it's a semi-automatic – it's got more than enough engine capability – almost three times as much as the Honda S2000 and it's got better fuel capacity –"

"Okay, I get it, shut up," Ivanov rolled his eyes. "You're not bullshitting – now fix my car?"

Chaya gaped. "'Scuse me? First of all, I hate you, why would I do anything for you? Second of all, just because I spew a few random and insignificant car stats doesn't mean squat – for all you know, I could be talking out of my ass – and thirdly, I hate you, why would I do anything for you?"

"You said that already," the redhead smirked, crossing his arms. "And if those are the only reasons you can come up with, you're losing your touch."

She narrowed her eyes. "You'll be losing something in a minute." She turned, once again to leave, but he reached out and grabbed hold of her shoulder to keep her in place. "Let go. Now, before you pull away a bloody stump."

"I don't believe you could."

"What, rip your hand off? With the mood I'm in, buddy, you're lucky if I don –"

"I meant fix my car."

Chaya blinked, looking at Ivanov as though he'd grown another head. Why wouldn't he leave her alone! Man had she made a big mistake walking by this way – the long way was looking very inviting at the moment. "Are you still on that kick? Yes, I can fix your damn car, but that doesn't mean that –"

"Then do it."

Chaya tensed up, peering at him suspiciously now, her mind going a mile a minute. "Why would I?"

"To prove you could."

"No."

"Then you were lying?"

"No!"

"Then fix it."

The blond opened her mouth and closed it a few times. Kai chuckled from his place leaning against the car and Chaya sneered at him, before turning her gaze back to Ivanov. "Do you really think I'll rise to you baiting me again? Besides, maybe I was lying."

"If you were lying you'd probably have already gone," the redheaded junior said confidently. "But you're kinda curious about what's wrong with the car, aren't you –" he smirked at her, almost as though he knew her. She never wanted to hit someone so badly – well, except for Hiwatari, but that was another story – but decided it would probably not be a good thing to act on that impulse. The truth was, although Chaya was a huge car enthusiast, the most she'd ever done was tinker around under the hood of her dad's Passat and hope she wouldn't get an new perm. Actually fixing stuff was a completely different story…

"I'm not fixing your stupid car if you screwed it up," she said angrily, pulling away forcefully and hefting her bag over her shoulder angrily. Like hell his stupid pressure was going to get to her. If she hurried, she could actually make it home before the creeps began beeping their car horns at her just because she was female…

"Hey Kai," Ivanov pronounced loudly so that she could hear, "you're gramps' has been out of town the past three weeks, right? The school never did reach him about the fight last week, did they…?"

Chaya stopped moving in mid-step, a creepy silence hovering over her. She heard Kai clear his throat, almost as though he couldn't figure out what Ivanov was getting at. "Uh…no, they only got his secretary."

"You know, if you think about it, isn't it possible you could talk to her and tell her to…forget about that call?" Ivanov continued. Chaya slowly turned around, tense and angry, her fists clenched so tightly that she was sure her nails were cutting into the palm of her hands. Ivanov had a malicious glint in his eyes and for a moment, Chaya had the sneaking suspicion that it was Ivanov that was the more conniving of the two juniors.

Of course, now she understood why her parents hadn't gotten an angry phone call from some lawyers or something along those lines. Hiwatari's grandfather didn't know anything about it as of yet. Her gaze flew past Ivanov for a moment, meeting Hiwatari's eyes for a split second. He seemed to realize what Ivanov was getting at and shrugged, not looking away from her. She took that to mean a 'yes'.

"What's the problem?" she asked, her teeth gritted tightly together as she finally looked away.

"What?" Ivanov looked stunned, as though he hadn't expected her to give in. He nearly lost hold of the cigarette in his mouth.

"The problem – before I can do anything I need to know what the problem is," she deadpanned, walking closer to the car. Ivanov started for a second, and then cleared the throat, pointing towards the car.

"Uh…it won't start. And it's smoking and – "

Chaya rolled her eyes at him and circled the car, wincing at the scent. The steam rising from the open hood smelled like a mixture of burnt plastic and cigarette smoke. "Have you driven it today?"

"To school, yeah."

"Was anything wrong with it when you were driving?"

"Not that I could see – it sort of began smoking like this earlier but I thought it was another car."

Chaya was now leaning over the smoking engine, staring past the steam that made her eyes water. For a moment she couldn't find anything under the hood that she recognized, before the moment passed and she found herself staring at the mess of wires, valves and coverings. "Everything's off, right? Ignition and the like?"

"Sure."

She peered down. "Well, the fan's not broken, so that's a good sign. Engine's off…" she glanced at the coolant reservoir, which was a plastic tank to her left. She would have liked to check everything, but the way the engine was smoking and the rest of the components were radiating heat, she held back. Instead, she asked, "When was the last time you checked the coolant level?"

"I don't know."

"Oh yeah, that really helps," she deadpanned. "Well, as soon as things cool down, I'll check more closely because knowing your car you booby-trapped it to zap or burn me." Ivanov looked unimpressed. "But there's still something I want to check out – this burning smell is weird. It shouldn't be this…pungent." She looked at Ivanov suspiciously. "You were leaning over here before – did you drop anything in?"

"No, it already stank before I opened it. I already told you it's from this morning. When I went to start the car there was no smell and that was the same time that I found out the car wasn't running – and then the smell started again."

Chaya frowned, looking down, and then back up again. "I think there's more wrong here than just the cooling-system – if that's even the problem. Something stuck in there and the heat's making it burn. Any idea what it could be?"

Ivanov looked thoughtful, and then hesitated, before, "I did drive over a plastic bag this morning."

"That would do it," Chaya said, looking down into the depths of machinery for a hint of the aforementioned plastic bag. There was nothing there, which led her to believe that only a small piece had managed to cling to the underside of the engine – maybe even melted to it. "Alright, I need a tire-jack."

Now Ivanov looked confused. "Why?"

Unimpressed, Chaya told him, "So that I can get under there and peel away what's making that smell. You've got a tire-jack, right?"

"Yeah – "

"Well then get it," she ordered. "And I'm going to need something to pry it off with because I have no intention of burning my fingers off – a Swiss-army knife would be the best bet. It's got a file."

Ivanov sent an inquisitive glance at Hiwatari, before moving around his car and opening the trunk. To her surprise Hiwatari, although still glaring at her from his place leaning against the wheel, tossed her his army knife. Chaya frowned in concentration, tongue between her teeth, studying the car again. From what she could see without physically touching, the coolant level was pretty low – greatly below the line. And – "Wait a second, you said the car wasn't running?"

"Yeah," Ivanov said as he returned with the rather large looking tire-jack. She actually felt relieved to see that it was a hi-jack.

"Then there's not just something wrong with the coolant because it would have at least started even if it was overheated," Chaya mused. "Okay, set up that thing on the front-right side – when was the last time you filled the gas tank?"

"This morning?"

"Then it should be starting – unless you have a leak."

Ivanov shrugged. "Not that I know of."

Chaya didn't reply but circled the car so that she was facing the gas tank. She got down on her knees and then flattened out, lying parallel to the car and squinting beneath it to check for a possible leak. There was nothing outwardly wrong. And yet if Ivanov had just gassed up, then what was wrong? Picking herself up again and ignoring the amused glance from the junior who was currently fitting the tire-jack where she had asked him to, she opened the cap of the gas tank and swept her finger through, studying it.

Rubbing her thumb and forefinger together trying to disperse the grimy liquid, she looked up. "You have major rust build-up in the gas tank. Obviously you don't know how to take care of your own car, you moron."

"But that can be fixed, right?"

She studied him for a moment, before stepping away from the car and crossing her arms. "Fifty bucks and never talk to me again."

"What!"

"That's my cost – what, you thought I was doing this for free?" she asked incredulously. "I'm blond, not stupid."

"The cost was Kai not telling his gramps about you –"

"You can only blackmail me for so long," Chaya replied. "If we go about our business this way, we can pretend it's just a nice legal thing and I won't have to break your jaw."

Ivanov was not impressed. "Since when are you in a position to be demanding things?"

"Since your car is on the fritz and you don't want to pay hundreds of dollars for some mechanic to overcharge you for towing, coolant and other things that he'll decide to do to your car so that you have to keep coming back for help."

Ivanov was silent for a long moment, smoking furiously as he thought it over, before he nodded. "Deal." He held out his hand and Chaya, after staring at it as though he had some kind of weapon hidden, took it, but before he could let go, she pulled him closer and said in a serious, threatening voice, "if you screw me over you'll be missing one or two very important parts of your anatomy." And she reached up, grabbed his cigarette and tossed it to the ground, stomping it out beneath her heal. "Secondly, don't smoke near an overheated engine, you might have a dead battery and I don't want your death on my conscience."

Finally pulling fully away from him, she grabbed the elastic band from around her wrist and tied her hair back, wincing at the wind that pricked at her ears now that her hair wasn't shielding them from the November cold. Returning to the front of the car and glancing down at the now elevated point, she pondered for a moment, before, "Hiwatari, make yourself useful. Go to the janitor and –"

"What makes you think I'm going to help you?" he asked coldly, and she studied his face for a moment. It was obvious that Hiwatari was still a little…_sore_ about the entire ordeal from the weak before. For what, she didn't know, considering she had been the one to come out the loser, but for some reason he seemed to be having a hard time of it. And he seemed to hate her more.

'Yeesh, dude, get a life…' "Because I told you to. And if you don't, I have no problem going for round two. Breaking some more of your bones will be well worth the injuries."

"Are you so desperate to get beaten up again?" he asked, his voice frigid.

"Are you such a jerk that you –"

"You two, cool it," Ivanov grumbled. "I want my car fixed today, thanks."

Chaya made a noise of annoyance, and then cleared her throat, ready to talk again. Hiwatari grudgingly seemed to be listening. "Go to Jackson and ask him for straight muriatic acid, phosphoric acid, carburetor cleaner, and a lot of water, a towel – oh and a hose or something and a jug. If you just filled up today we don't want to waste gas – " She nodded at Hiwatari. "If he doesn't have something, the hardware shop down the block should – at least, the last time I was there they had it." The slate-haired junior stared. "Uh, yesterday?"

A few well-chosen curses directed at Chaya and the junior was striding off, whether to actually listen to her directions or just to escape her, she wasn't exactly sure and really didn't care. She could manage one annoying junior better than two any day. Ivanov watched his friend leave before regarding Chaya, who had slipped into the car and opened all of the windows. She couldn't take off the radiator cover until the engine cooled off – even the littlest things would help.

"How do you know what you're doing?" the redhead asked her as she studied the rest of the car for any other problems.

"I watch a lot of TV, read a lot of books and had to work at a garage once," Chaya replied, not looking up.

"Why?"

"Nosy little fucker, aren't you?"

"I just want to make sure you're not killing my ride."

"It was dead before I got here."

A pause. "So…?"

"So what?"

"How do you know what you're doing?" he prompted.

"My grandfather owned a shop of his own and I've been driving since last year. I was always watching what my dad was doing and I actually got him to teach me automatic after I accidentally backed the car into a tree because I was trying to get my bike out of the garage."

"And how do you know how to fix cars?"

"I got in an accident a year later."

"What kind of accident?"

"I stole my sister's car because she ratted me out to my parents about something. I got two blocks away before crashing into some dude's car. Turned out he was a mechanic. He decided not to press charges as long as I worked for him to pay off the damages."

"Harsh."

"Not really. I learned a lot and ended up coming by even after my time was up." She looked up. "You know this is going to take a while, right? So far it really looks like the engine's over heated – you either have a leak in the radiator or a broken thermostat. I should have asked Hiwatari to get coolant…"

"How long is long?"

"I dunno, a few hours…you won't be able to drive it for a while, either."

"Damn it," Ivanov snarled. "Why?"

"Because it turned out someone loosened the lug nuts on your tires as well. I thought at first it happened normally, but all lug nuts don't spontaneously loosen."

"I'll kill whoever did it…"

"Making threats isn't going to do anything," Chaya rolled her eyes. "Help me push this thing into the shade over there." She pointed to the dark side of the parking lot behind the school where she and Hiwatari had had their fight. The shade of the building stretched over almost the entire lot.

"Push?"

"What, you think you're going to break or something?" Chaya snorted.

"I was just trying to figure out how a shrimp like you could---"

"I'm stronger than I look," Chaya snapped, putting her hands to the back bumper and throwing her weight forwards. "Uh, hello?"

"Right," Ivanov nodded, as though just realizing that she was serious. He too began to push the convertible and after a few laboured steps, they managed to roll it into the alley.

"Alright," Chaya clapped her hands together. "The story is---if anyone asks---you leant the car to a friend. Got it? Good. Where the hell is Hiwatari?"

"I'm right here, Mizuhara," the teens gruff voice interrupted He was carrying a small crate and deposited it for her. He still looked as though he would rather be drowning than helping her. "The janitor said you could use the hose near the kitchen entrance. Does he know something we don't?"

"Figures that the old bat knows how to clean out a tank," Chaya muttered under her breath as she bent over and picked up the bottle of muriatic acid, the empty jug for the gas and the hose. "Alright, Ivanov, drain the tank; Hiwatari go get the hose and I'll get the rest of the stuff ready." They both did as they were told, although not without the annoyed and snarky comments, and as soon as everything was finished, Chaya unscrewed the bottle and poured about a gallon of muriatic acid into the tank, careful not to get any of it on her hands or clothes or the car itself. When she was satisfied, she motioned for the hose and filled the rest of the tank with water.

"Leave it for forty-five minutes," she ordered. "You can use that time to get some coolant."

"Listen, asswipe, I'm not going to go around doing your bidding any more, got it?" her nemesis snarled, but his friend put up his hand.

"I'll go," he rolled his eyes. "Just don't kill each other while I'm gone."

Chaya noticed his tone and glared.

"Don't act like we're all buddy-buddy," she snapped. "I don't have to be here fixing your car, I'm doing it because I'm a nice person." Kai made a derisive noise. "What was that?"

"You and 'nice person' don't go in the same sentence, Mizuhara."

"What, you still stinging about that beating I gave you?" the girl asked in a superior tone, trying to find something that she could use to tighten the lug-nuts. Hoping that Ivanov had a wrench in his car was stretching the hopes of reality, but hey…

"What beating? I seem to remember you passing out."

"Only because you smashed my head against the wall."

"Well there we go…"

"Yeah, well I got out of it with only a bruise…you look like you're trying to get the blackheads off of your nose."

Hiwatari glared. "You're sad, Mizuhara, you really are."

"If I want your opinion, Hiwitari, I'll---" she paused suddenly, a look of concentration appearing on her face. "I'll never want your opinion."

Hiwatari rolled his eyes. Forcing her mouth shut she leaned back into the car, grumbling at the stiff interior and began to go through Ivanov's glove compartments, tossing out random junk into the parking-lot as she did so. She grimaced in disgust as she threw a packet of condoms onto the asphalt.

"What is so thrilling about playing girls and acting like the bad boys?" she asked suddenly, more to herself than to anyone else.

"Why?" Hiwatari asked, not realizing that she was talking to herself.

"Because I want to know." She sat up and peered at him, before climbing a little more around the car in her search. He was standing a little ways away from the car. "It's disgusting and degrading and a total insult to the female population."

"Hey, you're the ones hanging over us," he replied nonchalantly.

"You're rather talkative today."

"Must be the weather. It's been driving me mad."

"What, the fact that the wind is so strong it actually blows through your empty skull?"

She found a wrench under the armrest and got out, kneeling down by the front wheel and began to tighten the lug nuts.

"Why are you still here? It's not just the off chance that I might tell my grandfather what happened."

Chaya paused, thinking over a response to the question. Why was she doing this? She hated these guys with every fibre of her being. She had gone out of her way to make their lives miserable and full of obstacles. So why was she actually helping Ivanov with his car? The money and a ride, yeah, sure…but… "I already told you. I'm a nice person."

"Hard to believe. Come on, Mizuhara, I know you…you always have an ulterior motive."

"_You_ know me?" Chaya demanded, standing up so quickly she dropped the wrench so that it clattered to the concrete, "You know shit about me, Hiwitari!"

"Hey, look…he's still alive…" Ivanov's voice said, but when both of the fighting teens glared over at him, his grin disappeared. "Alright, alright…I got the coolant?"

Chaya sneered and grabbed the coolant and the towel that was in the crate, marching back to the front of the car and removing the radiator cap.

"No wonder it's over-heated," she smirked. "There's like nothing left here."

Kai and Ivanov exchanged looks as she added the coolant, and then the slate-haired junior shrugged. "I'm leaving. Good luck with the motor-bitch." Chaya stiffened, and as soon as the coolant bottle was sufficiently empty, she capped it, pulled back and threw the bottle at the back of his head.

As he whirled around Chaya disappeared behind the hood of the car, smirking at her lowly victory.

"Bitch."

(-)

Chaya rubbed her greasy hands on her jeans as she walked home. The sun was setting over the town, and she figured she was going to be late. This meant that her mother would blow a gasket and immediately suspect that she was beating someone up. Wow. Her mother figured she could beat up every guy that came her way. Chaya felt proud of herself.

"Hey, Mizuhara, wait up!"

She looked around and groaned in annoyance when she saw who it was.

Ivanov caught up to her, grinning.

"Damn, you're pretty fast…"

"No, that's just the nicotine catching up to you," Chaya said indifferently. "What do you want, I have to get home. I already fixed your car, so---"

"Come to the dance with me."

Whatever Chaya had expected to be interrupted with, it had not been that. For a long moment she merely stared at him, before recovering herself with as much dignity as she could muster.

"Drop dead."

"No, I mean it. All bastard-stuff I've done aside…"

"And I still say drop dead."

"Hey, I'm trying to be nice here and not treat you like one of those bimbos at school," the redhead protested.

"You mean the ones you casually fuck and then drop the next day?" Chaya raised her eyebrow. "I'm so honoured."

"Hey, stop," he said, actually sounding sincere, holding onto her shoulder and turning her to face him. "I think you're really cool Mizuhara. You got spirit, you got spunk, you don't take shit from people…can't we be friends?"

"Friends?" she repeated, trying to figure out what he was trying to pull. "Ivanov, you're an asshole and I hate you. The only people I hate more than you are Hiwatari, Clarkson and…oh wait, that would be you."

"But I'm still not the top of the list," he grinned, pushing a long red strand of hair out of his eyes. "Come on, it won't kill you to be civil for one night."

"No."

"Come on."

"No."

"Please?"

"Damn it I said no!"

There was a paused as she walked furiously away from him, though she was sure he was following. Then,

"Please?"

She whirled around and made to swat him, but he caught her wrist before she could. "One night. Then you can beat me up the next day for all I care."

Chaya sighed in frustration.

"Fine…if you leave me the hell alone and never talk to me ever again afterwards – as per our deal.

"Deal."

"But if I find out that this is one of your little schemes---"

"Thanks," he interrupted. "I have to go. See you tomorrow!"

Chaya gaped at the junior's retreating back, suddenly feeling a very sick feeling. Going over the conversation in her head, she was sure she could have gotten out of the situation another way.

And now she felt even more stupid than before…

* * *

Muy long chapter. I reiterate my words on "car -enthusiasm" and me making errors in actual mechanics. Don't call me on it. Until my dad actually thinks I can do something other than data entry, this is the best it gets, 

Kuriness


	23. Over the Moon

___**Drowning in the Clouds**_

_Author:_ KuriQuinn

_Title:_ Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom:_ Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all

_Fanfiction Disclaimer:_ Chaya is my own creation, as is Haley, Jennifer, Claire and anyone else that you don't recognize. Miyami Kinomiya belongs to Mags, my best friend. Aurelia Delk belongs to Band-Freak aka Lobo-Chan. And that is all for now...Flash Jameson belongs to Flash, Iris Messana belongs to Iz

_Rating:_ R for language, mature themes and possible violence in later chapters

_Pairing:_ Figure it out.

_Takes-Place:_ Alternate Universe

_Summary:_ Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Twenty-two: Over the Moon **

"Chaya Mizuhara, you are totally and completely shitting me!" Miyami hissed as their French teacher skulked off to the other end of the library.

"No I'm not," Chaya frowned as she turned the page of the musty novel before her and trying to pretend that her words were nonchalant.

The class was in the library that afternoon, researching famous French writers and their works. Chaya glared down at Victor Hugo's picture in the preface of _Les Miserables_. She personally hated that man's work, finding it so full of description that it compromised the entire story. He just went on and on in his writing, not bothering with the immediate story and busying himself with how many cavities people had. That and the language was full of words that Chaya couldn't understand and truthfully didn't want to understand.

'I wanted to do Molière, but no…the arrogant old coot had to stick me with the bearded freak that looks like Freud gone wild…' she thought glumly as she roughly turned another page.

M. Langlois was the most sardonic, sarcastic, ill-tempered man that Chaya had ever met. And that included most of her mother's family. The shock of white hair actually made her think of Victor Hugo – and his annoying manner of making everyone feel like second rate didn't help. Of course the fact that he didn't like Claire or Hillary always made her feel better…but because she had argued with him over a lesson plan and then called in a huge idiot who smelled like he hadn't bathed since Woodstock hadn't helped her popularity with him. It was probably why she had been stuck with such a horrible book.

"Why did you wait until today to tell me this?" Miyami demanded in an accusatory tone. "You _hate_ anyone connected to Kai! Tala's just as bad, right? I mean, I know he's a redhead, but he's still a prick."

"Blame the fact that he wouldn' leave me alone until I said yes and that he goaded Hiwatari into blackmail – you know he hasn't told his grandfather about the fight? One wrong move and my family could be staring down the barrel of a really long, losing battle with the law – all because I was an idiot."

"He's doing _what_?" Miyami asked, her voice low and dangerous. "Blackmail is so not cool! We're going to see about this…"

Chaya blinked. "Uh…Miyami?"

Her best friend looked murderous, her silver eyes glowing with an intensity that if it was possible, Chaya was sure would be glowing red.

"It's one thing to be an asshole, it's another to be like a mob-boss," the girl continued to rant.

"What are you talking about?"

Miyami seemed to remember that Chaya was there and paused for a moment, clearing her throat. "Well, I didn't, er, want to bring this up because of how you feel about Kai – but he's my cousin from my mom's side – second cousin, technically – and Mom is usually the one to talk Voltaire out of a lot of punishments Kai should get and she covers for him a lot. I think she's always felt sorry for him and Taryn or something – anyway, I'll have a talk with him. I have some dirt on him from Mom – he wants blackmail? He'll get blackmail…"

Chaya stared. "I don't know whether to be happy you suddenly magically have a solution to my problem or to freak out and yell at you because you didn't tell me this crucial piece of information and use it your advantage before."

"Well, if you saw the way he acts at family reunions, you'd want to forget you were related too," Miyami said matter-of-factly. "That and when we were four he ripped the heads off of my Barbie dolls – honestly, I was only trying to get him to play with me, he was all alone and – "

_"Ahem_."

Miyami's eyes widened and Chaya stared up at the teacher in back of her, noticing vaguely how he seemed to manage to appear out of nowhere. With barely a breath, she hurriedly mumbled, "Monsieur, nous sommes juste entraine de discouter tous les attributs de M. Hugo. Miyami m'a just dit qu'elle trouve son style un peu barbareux et trop descriptif."

Heaving a huge breath, she grinned at the man, hoping he would leave them alone. He mumbled something about "irrespectueuses adolescentes" and shuffled off, obviously disappointed that he hadn't been able to yell at them for speaking English in his class.

"I'm thinking we're going to have to check this book out if we want to finish our project before next class," Miyami said thoughtfully after the man left, frowning at the book with as much annoyance as Chaya had mustered earlier.

Chaya rolled her eyes. "While the mere fact of you wanting to check out a book would be grounds for a national holiday, I think we should focus on the issue at hand."

Miyami sent her a dirty look. "Okay, at this point you're abusing sarcasm."

Chaya shrugged.

"So, are you actually going to go?"

"Well, yeah, I have to," she replied, also quietly. "I can't have Hiwatari thinking I'm chicken."

"What's Kai got to do with anything?" Miyami raised an eyebrow. "I thought we were talking about Tala?"

Chaya blinked, going over her words again, and then shrugged them aside. "They're pretty much the same person so it makes no difference. Either way I'll end up getting fed up with him and disappearing into the crowd until the dance is over. 'Nuff said."

"Yeah, but you're going to a senior dance; the only hope you have is that Ray's going to and you can hang with him if Tala doesn't show or is acting like an ass – you won't be with us."

"Uh, that's why I'm sneaking you in," Chaya snorted. "It's just a manner of changing one number on your school ID and hoping that Clarkson's not chaperoning."

"Oh." Miyami was silent for a moment, and then she grinned. "So…have you thought about what you're going to wear?"

"Clothing, preferably."

"Party-pooper."

"You're the fashionista. Not me…"

(-)

Chaya yawned, leaning against the wall of the gym. A plastic covering had been rolled over the floor to keep the many stiletto heels from damaging the floor, and it was a fail-safe against the gum that people were chewing and spitting onto the ground.

Music that was so loud that Chaya thought for a moment she was at a concert or something pulsed in speakers that were at-least a foot taller than she was. Crappy music at that, she thought with a grim sarcasm. Blaring reggae, hip-hop, rap and techno filled the gym, with the occasional pop-song slow-dance that gave the countless teenagers an excuse to make out in the shadowed corners of the gym, beyond the prying eyes of the chaperone.

"He still hasn't shown?" asked a voice, and Chaya glanced up to see Ray smiling down at her sympathetically. The Chinese boy had his arm around Jezzy, who also looked sympathetic, and Chaya fought down the urge to send her packing.

"Nah, but I should have known," she shrugged, really not caring if Ivanov didn't show up. "I mean, he's a friend of Hiwatari's. The only thing I regret is having been tricked into this thing before I knew I could get out of it – and having to get dressed up. I was better off in sweats and combat boots."

Ray and Jezzy looked as though they weren't sure what to make of her idea of 'dressing up'. She made a face at them. She was actually quite proud of herself. She hadn't caved to Miyami's dare-devil, peer-pressure, teenage idol idea of clothing for this occasion. She wore a black dress with thin straps that fanned out over black lace and mesh that hung in rags beneath it, almost like a short petticoat. Black and white striped socks and her trusty black boots completed the outfit, along with her hair, which she'd pulled up into pig-tails.

"Anyhow," Chaya trailed off. "Why don't you two go dance? No need to stand around here with Wallflower Me – go have fun."

"Are you sure?" Ray asked in an uncertain voice.

"Ray, get your ass on that dance floor and have fun with your girlfriend!" Chaya ordered. "And make sure Miyami and Aurelia are having fun – I haven't seen them since we got in here."

"Yes lady," Ray said meekly, pulling a laughing Jezzy after him. Chaya rolled her eyes at the sixteen-year-old and turned away, coming face to face with the blue-eyes of Tala Ivanov.

The junior was smirking down at her, obviously appraising her looks, before his eyes rested on her face. "Having fun?"

"Until now," she replied darkly, studying the patched and pinned jean vest the redhead was wearing, as well as the _System of a Down _shirt beneath it. "Was your plan on asking me here to make me think you stood me up?"

"Of course not. I was actually wondering if you were going to show up." Ivanov grinned, looking her over once again. "Mizuhara, you're not great looking, but definitely interesting. Kai's wrong when he calls you a train-wreck."

"Yeah, that's what every girl wants to hear," Chaya rolled her eyes. "How do you get so many girls when you couldn't charm your way out of a paper bag?"

"It's in the persuasive and attractive voice," the redhead said in a sultry voice, as though demonstrating it on her.

"Pitiful," she rolled her eyes. "I guess it works on girls that have no brains…well, you asked me to this thing, are you going to dance, or do you, as I suspected, have an ulterior motive?"

"You caught me," he said seriously. "It was my intention to trick you into being my girlfriend and then drop you next week."

Chaya stared.

"Don't joke, Ivanov."

"Come on," he grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards the exit. "The music sucks anyway, we'll have more fun outside."

"My illegal-act-senses are tingling," Chaya said mistrustfully, but deciding to see what he wanted anyway. The soon she finished with him, she wouldn't have to actually talk to him. Ever again. And hopefully that deal included Hiwatari just for kicks.

She followed the redhead through the other dancers, after catching up with him prying her wrist out of his grasp, and found herself before the back exit. After a few furtive glances around, the junior slipped through the door and seconds later, Chaya followed.

"Well, that went faster than I expected," a smug voice said as soon as Ivanov moved into the darkness of the alley. A very familiar voice… "Pay up, Bryan!"

"This was a bet?" Chaya began, her voice loud. She felt incensed and angry almost immediately.

"Don't get you're money out yet, boys," Ivanov chuckled as he held the door for Chaya. As soon as it closed, the dance music was muffled to a dull roar.

It was too dark to tell who was who, but once a few lighters were lit for cigarettes, Chaya recognized almost all of the people sitting in the alley.

Bryan Kuznetsov and Kai Hiwatari sat on the trunk of Ivanov's car, which hadn't been moved since the after school meeting, their faces illuminated by Bryan's fag. Another junior sat by the wall, his arm slung about a gray-eyed Chinese girl who smiled nervously at Chaya. When he handed her a smoke, she took an over-eager puff that caused her to dissolve in a series of coughs.

Chaya shook her head.

This girl had been sweet-talked into going with the wrong crowd and the junior was taking full advantage of it. It was almost pitiful.

"Smoke?" Ivanov thrust a cigarette under Chaya's nose and she slapped his hand away. "I'm guessing no…" He put the thing in his own mouth and lit it, shrugging at her obvious dissatisfaction.

"What part of 'I'm an asthmatic' don't you morons get?" she snapped, taking the thing out of his mouth and snapping it on the ground.

"Hey!" he protested.

"Ivanov, what the hell are you thinking, bringing her here?" Kai growled. "As if we didn't get to see enough stupidity around this place…"

"I figured we could hang."

Chaya groaned and let her head fall against the wall. The drugs really had scrambled Ivanov's brains.

"You look familiar," the unknown junior mumbled and Chaya cracked an eye open to study him again. He was the shortest of the four guys, with bright green eyes and red hair which was dyed black in the front. His ears were pierced all the way up and he wore a leather jacket that had some band-name on it that she couldn't read in the dark.

The girl next to him nodded, though Chaya was quite sure she didn't know what she was nodding about.

"She should," Ivanov smirked, his voice proud almost as though he was showing off some kind of prize horse or something. "She's the chick that tried to beat the shit out of Kai last week. I told you I knew her."

"Really?" the guy grinned, pushing himself off of the car. "Well, I consider this an honor…" he moved in on her and thrust his hand forward. "You've done what most of us have been either too chicken or too lazy to do. Hiwatari was getting on everyone's nerves."

"Shut up, Sato," Kai sneered.

But the guy merely grinned and seized her hand.

"Ozuma Sato," he introduced. "Or you could just call me Oz, you've earned it."

"Uh…thanks?" Chaya attempted, staring at her hand as he shook it cheerfully.

The girl coughed again, though this time it wasn't because of the cigarette. Ozuma blinked, as though realizing for the first time that she was there. "And this is Kin, my girlfriend."

"Are you Tala's girlfriend?" Kin asked, her brilliant gray eyes looking innocently at Chaya. The blond couldn't look at Kin without pitying her for what she was getting herself into.

"God forbid," she said curtly.

"Now, now, play nice," Ivanov grinned, the smoke in his breath causing Chaya to choke. It seemed as though he had lit another cigarette while she wasn't looking. "I didn't just orchestrate this whole thing because you're interesting." He patted her on the shoulder and looked at all the others. "Chaya here happens to be an expert on cars. And we---starting in five minutes---have a window of opportunity."

There was a silence.

"I think I speak for everyone here when I say 'huh'?" Chaya put in.

"Idiot," Kai snorted, grabbing Bryan's cigarette and taking a drag. "Starting at ten, i.e. five minutes from now, is a period of time where no one can go into the gym or out."

"And that means we have the parking lot to ourselves," Ivanov finished.

Chaya wasn't impressed. "This has what to do with me?"

"Well, you knew exactly what was wrong with this heap," Ivanov patted his car affectionately. "So I figured you'd have a few good ideas for fun."

"I would, but that's beside the point," Chaya crossed her arms. "Why?"

"Payback," her 'date' shrugged impatiently. "I figure I'll never know the asshole that loosened the what-cha-macallit's on my tires---"

"Lug nuts"

"Right, them…so, if I hit everyone, I chance getting the guy that screwed with my ride. If not, hey, I had fun."

"But the 'why' still remains," the brown-eyed girl said. "As in, why should I help you? I've already had enough issues with you for a week."

"There are a lot of teachers chaperoning this one for some reason," Kai interrupted. Everyone looked at him strangely. He shrugged, although his eyes didn't leave hers. "Half of the faculty, if you wanted to know."

He lapsed back into silence. Chaya could almost feel the challenge radiating in his eyes. She frowned, trying to make the decision. She hated going with the crowd, but all the jackass teachers were chaperoning. She had seen Clarkson's big ass car with her own eyes.

Could she really pass up a chance like this?

Hiwatari seemed to sense her thoughts and raised an eyebrow.

Hell no.

"Fine," she sighed. Ozuma cheered and was quickly shushed. "But y'all better listen up!"

* * *

AND THAT WAS IT! I'M SORRY I LEFT IT AGAIN, BUT IT'S O FUN! HILLHANGER! WOOHOO!  
R&R please,

Kuriness


	24. In the Spotlight

___**Drowning in the Clouds**_

_Author:_ KuriQuinn

_Title:_ Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom:_ Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all

_Fanfiction Disclaimer:_ Chaya is my own creation, as is Haley, Jennifer, Claire and anyone else that you don't recognize. Miyami Kinomiya belongs to Mags, my best friend. Aurelia Delk belongs to Band-Freak aka Lobo-Chan. And that is all for now...Flash Jameson belongs to Flash, Iris Messana belongs to Iz

_Rating:_ R for language, mature themes and possible violence in later chapters

_Pairing:_ Figure it out.

_Takes-Place:_ Alternate Universe

_Summary:_ Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

**

* * *

Chapter Twenty-three: In the Spotlight **

"Usually, the old sugar-in-gas-tank would be my specialty," Chaya explained, sending Hiwatari a meaningful look, before turning back to the others, "but tonight we don't have enough time, or any sugar. So the choice is to cut open the gas tank, or deflate the tires." She caught the looks on the others faces. "Or both."

"I'd heard you got kicked out of your old school," Ozuma grinned, looking thoroughly impressed with her. "Now I understand why."

"Actually, that was a complete accident," Chaya retorted, a little angry and a little excited at the same time. It never failed. The minute she resolved to be a good girl and do things by the book she got pulled into mass intrigues. She could technically still back out of this one…but it was just too good to pass up! "Back to the subject at hand…who here has a pocket knife?"

All of the guys pulled out their own pocketknives. Chaya nodded, not really surprised at this and grabbed the Swiss-army knife out of her left boot, ironically the same one that Hiwatari had tossed her to get rid of the melting plastic under Ivanov's car motor, as well as a stun gun and a mini bottle of pepper-spray.

Ivanov sent her a stunned look, and then demanded indignantly, "Jesus, Mizuhara, what'd you think I was going to do, rape you?"

"Actually, Valkov, I wouldn't put it past you," she replied simply.

Tala reflected on this and nodded.

"You got a point…"

"Alright, here's the plan," Chaya said clearly. "Considering most people would have a spare tire somewhere, deflate two tires per car. That should be pretty easy for you to do. Gas tanks will be slightly harder, as you have to practically crawl under the car to get at them. Then you just use your pocketknives and move on. The thing is, I don't suggest doing this until you absolutely have to, because it really pollutes the groundwater and crap like that. I don't do pollution."

"Oh, you're an environmentalist now," Kai rolled his eyes and crossing him arms against his chest. "Anything else we should know? Possibly a porn career?"

She rounded on him, her eyes flashing an almost black color. "Look, Hiwatari, I know that you hate me and want to kill me, and this may come as a shock to you, but I feel the same way. So if you will just leave me alone, stick to wherever you're going to stay, do this whole prank spiel and kill each other later, we can go on with out lives and everyone will be happy, capisce?" Without waiting for him to reply, she turned to Kin and smiled pleasantly. "And you, sweetie, you stay here and keep watch."

"But---"

"Stay. Here." Chaya ordered, passing the other girl her knife and leaning forward. "And if your boyfriend ever tries anything on you, you have my permission to use less-than-gentle-persuasion."

"Hey!" Ozuma snapped, offended, but Chaya ignored him.

"Alright, we're cool? Good," she got ready to go, and then paused, looking back at the others. "One more thing. If anyone sees a black C220 Mercedes with the license number YVT 863, leave it."

"Why?" Ivanov questioned, although Hiwatari might have snorted in amusement. Chaya wasn't sure and really didn't care.

She grinned. "Because that's Clarkson's car…"

(-)

As far as Chaya concerned, the entire hour went by too quickly. It was almost as if even though they were moving as fast as they could, time seemed to be ticking against them. Deflating the tires took almost no time at all, but everything after that seemed to be harder and more sloppily carried out. Every once in a while Chaya glanced up to make sure that the Kin girl was actually doing as she had been told and not buffing her nails or something.

Fifteen minutes after going to work, Ozuma located Clarkson's car and called Chaya over. She set to work cheerfully, if not a little regretful. She never did like wrecking nice cars…

Filling the gas tank with dirt and rocks was easy, but cutting the brakes and unscrewing the lug nuts was slightly harder, as Chaya didn't have a wrench. She nearly broke her fingers trying to unscrew them, but finally managed to get all of them off of the first two tires. Hiwatari had managed a few snide remarks in passing, but she had ignored them all, intent on her task.

She stood back finally, wiping her dirty fingers on her dress with a frown as she surveyed her work on the Mercedes. She found it ironic that not even the day before she had been working to fix one and now she was doing her best to sabotage this one. And both cars belonged to people she couldn't' stand. Go figure.

There was still something missing…just one last, final touch…her eyes fell upon the interior of the car and she noticed with glee that it was open. 'God, this woman is just asking for trouble!' As Ivanov hurried past her, she hissed out, "How much time have we got left?"

"About twenty minutes."

"Good, good," she grinned, going over to the car and opening it. It lifted out easily, the click quiet even to her ears.

With a smirk, she sat inside, leaning over the console to open the glove compartment. It was just as she suspected. Inside, Clarkson kept a bottle of hairspray. Sniggering, she unscrewed the cap and dumped the contents outside, then filled it with the pepper-spray in her mini-bottle.

The bug-eyed clothing nazi would be getting a pretty interesting surprise…

She put the bottle back into the glove compartment, and then leaned in, under the steering wheel. If she re-wired a certain wire, Clarkson would get more than just a shock---she'd get a new perm!

She had nearly found it, when she heard a cough.

A very familiar cough.

A cough that she shouldn't be hearing right now, or for another twenty minutes…

Tensing, she peeked out under the wheel, staring up slowly, first at the squat legs, ample stomach, unsightly bosom and finally, pinched, angered face.

Clarkson, it seemed, had come early.

"Chaya-Amelia Mizuhara, what do you think you're doing?"

The questioned was a loaded one, that hung in the air like some kind of plumb-line. Chaya glanced furtively out of the corners of her eyes for the others, but it seemed they had split, leaving her to fend for herself yet again. Immediately, feelings of shame and anger bubbled up inside of her and she wanted nothing more than to scream out in annoyance.

Instead, she swallowed heavily and slowly straightened up to face the woman.

"Uh…I think I'm staring up at my really angry vice principle that is about to suspend me again…"

(-)

Her parents were not impressed. That was one thing she could tell by the look on their faces as they all sat together in the slightly less cramped office. A guilty, horrible feeling was threatening to spill out of her as she caught sight of her father's especially disappointed and hurt her face. Next to her mother's angry one she felt even worse. She made herself look away from them and study the man before her. Principal Stanley Dickinson was a well-fed man with no hair and a bushy white moustache. He was wearing casual clothing and looked as though he had been interrupted in the middle of his relaxing Saturday night. He might have been kindly looking, except for the grave look that had appeared on his face since the moment he had entered the room and cast his eyes on Chaya. 

"…I caught her in the process of attempting to steal my car," Clarkson was saying angrily.

Chaya didn't bother to correct her, knowing full well that she'd get in more trouble. What she had been doing did look too suspiciously like hijacking a car. For some reason, though, she kept her mouth shut about the others. It seemed that Clarkson hadn't noticed the damage to the other cars in the parking lot as of yet and her only shred of hope was that when it was found out, they would know that the job was too big for her to do alone.

And, of course, she was no snitch, so she wouldn't be telling them who had been in on it. Probably a stupid move, but she had to formulate her own mass of blackmail, considering it seemed the currency of the place. If she so much as breathed Hiwatari's name, his entire group of followers would be linked, that was how much of a grudge Clarkson had against him.

"There is a point where you can not lie and misbehave anymore, but with Chaya-Amelia it seems that it doesn't exist."

"Wouldn't know, never reached it," Chaya muttered. "You'll have to tell me about it."

Her mother sent her a warning look. "You're in enough trouble as it is, young lady, don't you dare give us attitude. Why are you the only one that's constantly giving us trouble. Max never behaves this way, and Becky would never even have entertained the thought –"

"Do I look like Becky?" Chaya demanded. "Do I look like some carbon copy of her? What makes you think I'd want to be like her? I'm _me_, with all of my issues and I can't change that! And you know what? A lot of it may be my own stupidity, but more of it is that I have the crappiest luck in the world! Have you ever known what it's like to constantly be in the wrong place at the wrong time? Or decide to do things at the most inopportune moments? Obviously not…"

The four adults in the room didn't seem to understand her outburst, although she imagined to herself that her father was considering her for a long moment.

Clarkson cleared her throat. "I think we might have to take in account that Chaya-Amelia has a few unresolved issues – "

"Stop talking about me as though I'm not here!" Chaya yelled, interrupting the woman. "I'm a human being too you know! And stop calling _Chaya-Amelia­ _in that really annoying tone! My name is Chaya and that's it!"

"Chaya, sit down," Judy ordered. "We'll discuss this later."

"There may not be a later," Principal Dickinson said, his voice graver still than his expression. All movement in the office stopped. A feeling a confusion emanated from Chaya and her parents although she felt a hint of glee coming from Clarkson's direction. "I am truly sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Mizuhara, but if you can not control your daughter, she will be forced to leave and not come back here."

Chaya tensed, a sinking feeling taking over her stomach. She had already been threatened with expulsion not even a month before. Not come back to Bethany High…? But she had friends here, and if she got kicked out, what would happen to Max? He'd continue coming here and she might be sent to the all girls school across town? But knowing Max he'd insist on leaving school with her, even if it meant losing all of his friends, because he never liked her being alone. And that would mean they would have to move again just to get into another good school.

Hadn't she already had enough moving?

"Don't worry, dear," Clarkson said in that phony, caring voice. She reached out to pat Chaya's shoulder. "I'm only doing this because I have your best interests at heart. If you don't learn to control yourself, this school has nothing left to offer you."

Chaya jerked away from the woman's touch, ready to tell her off explicitly, but she caught her father's pointed look and clamped her lips shut.

"Well, what do you suppose we do?" Dickinson asked quietly. He tried to catch Chaya's eyes and after a moment of purposefully avoiding him, she stared back at him. "We are fully wiling to give you one more chance, Chaya. But you need to make an effort this time."

"Unless you want to go to another school," Judy's voice was cold and meaningful.

There was a long silence, broken suddenly by Clarkson clearing her throat. "I was just thinking…" Chaya refrained from asking if it hurt. "What if Chaya has a weekly session with our guidance councilor? Maybe getting some of her issues off of her chest will keep her out of trouble."

'And out of everyone's hair, right you old bat?' Chaya thought angrily, her eyes flashing angrily around the room.

Everyone looked expectantly at her, and after a moment of glaring at her mother, Clarkson and the principal, all of whom seemed to think this was a wonderful idea, she hung her head in defeat. "Fine," she bit out. "I'll be your little prissy princess. I can do it, don't get me wrong, you're just suppressing every free and original fiber of my being. But okay. I promise not to deface property, bug Ms. Clarkson, be a smart-ass with teachers and stuff any annoying students into three-thousand year old crypts. Okay?"

"I hope you've got it, Chaya," Mr. Dickinson said quietly. "Because your next major offence will be the deciding factor in your expulsion. That being said, after the stunt you pulled tonight you will have to be punished. Obviously detention will not cover it this time, so beginning on Monday you are suspended for four days. You are responsibly for getting all of your class-work and home-work accomplished regardless and your teachers will be informed of your absence. And yes, they will be put onto your December report card."

Chaya remained silent. This news was really not good. Her marks were already suffering and she was going to miss more school?

This was going to blow.

* * *

Short, but longer than the original by two pages. Enjoy.  
Kuriness

Kuriness


	25. Parting of Ways

___**Drowning in the Clouds**_

_Author:_ KuriQuinn

_Title:_ Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom:_ Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all

_Fanfiction Disclaimer:_ Chaya is my own creation, as is Haley, Jennifer, Claire and anyone else that you don't recognize. Miyami Kinomiya belongs to Mags, my best friend. Aurelia Delk belongs to Band-Freak aka Lobo-Chan. And that is all for now...Flash Jameson belongs to Flash, Iris Messana belongs to Iz

_Rating:_ R for language, mature themes and possible violence in later chapters

_Pairing:_ Figure it out.

_Takes-Place:_ Alternate Universe

_Summary:_ Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Twenty-four: Parting of Ways **

"I never got to enjoy it, but how did your band do Saturday night, Johnny?" Chaya asked cheerfully from her seat in the Volvo station wagon.

"We sucked," Johnny grumbled. "Enrique got all bitchy and drama-queenish and decided to cancel on us, so Oliver had to do the vocals and electric violin because Robert doesn't know how to sing. And then right after Marie-Therese decided that we weren't good enough for her so she quit – it was a mad house."

Chaya made a face, exchanging it with Aurelia and Miyami who were sitting close beside her. The day had finally come for Aurelia to return to Austria, and Chaya's father had grudgingly agreed to allow their friends drive along with them, if only for Aurelia's benefit. Chaya was still being regarded with anger and the only reason she was allowed out of the house was to see Aurelia off.

It was true. After a month of being in the Mizuhara home, Aurelia was going back to her own home at last, taking with her a lot of fond memories (and not so fond ones) of Bethany High School. The entire ninth grade (excepting the bleached blond members of the popular cliques that had abhorred the foreign girl since her arrival) had thrown a going away party for her and she was leaving with a large, colourful book of email addresses. An entire page had been dedicated to Johnny, who had written his email in large block letters and then filled the page with calligraphy of flowers. Despite his rather strange disposition, Johnny was quite a talented artist.

Chaya wished she could have taken part in the little party, but had been at home, locked in her room rereading her dozens of mangas to keep herself from dying of boredom. Her computer privileges, social privileges and other things had been taken away from her in punishment.

The station wagon was cramped, with Max sitting up in the front seat with his father, the three girls sitting in the back, and Ray and Johnny languishing in the trunk, diving downwards whenever Aurelia shouted about seeing a cop. Chaya's mother had "regretfully" declined coming along with them, still being in the state where she would rather glare at her daughter than talk to her.

"Well maybe you should do the same," Miyami suggested, referring to the conversation from before. "Go find a band that actually wants to be a band. I mean, Robert's kind of stuck-up for lead guitar, Marie-Therese is obviously a brat – and don't get me started on Enrique…"

"Isn't he the guy you used to have a crush on?" Ray teased. Miyami turned an angry red and flashed him the middle finger. When she caught Chaya's father's eye she turned even redder and slowly lowered it, laughing nervously. Aurelia took this as a chance to change the subject and cornered Chaya. "So, how did Hiwatari and the others get off, and you got caught?"

Chaya tensed and looked out the window, watching the road that was disappearing behind them on their way to the Will Rogers World Airport. Keeping her voice controlled and low, so as not to bug her father with their conversation topic, she mumbled, "They got off because they got out in time, and I didn't bother saying anything about them---can we ignore the fact that Hiwatari exists for my last few hours with my best foreign friend?"

"Fine," Aurelia allowed, although she looked put out that she didn't know what was going on. In fact, so far Miyami was the only person Chaya had even bothered telling of the intimate details of the parking lot fiasco the previous Saturday. And although her friend had thought it was a funny prank, she had agreed that Chaya had been stupid and the proceeded to point out her mistakes.

Which Chaya had hated but had accepted anyhow. As annoyed as she was at the liberal way Miyami was point out her flaws, she put up with it. It seemed some of her humility had returned to her – particularly after it had been suggested that she take counselling.

"Well, my faith in Kai's been shattered," Ray mumbled. Chaya was slightly worried at the fact that since her fight with the slate-haired junior, Ray's attitude towards his former friend had very much diminished. In fact, she was beginning to feel a strange sense that he had gotten over-protective of her. The last week where she had been at school, whenever Hiwatari had been around, Chaya found Ray at her side, talking and joking. Sometimes there was even a comforting, shielding arm around her shoulders that had her turning red to the roots of her hair. "Remind me to send him a nice arrangement of poison ivy when we graduate."

There was burst of laughter from her friends and Chaya relaxed a little. Aurelia grinned, her eyes shining and then suddenly, she snorted, "You know? I'll never forget the look on Clarkson's face when I first came in. _Es war prima!"_

"Definitely," Chaya smirked.

"No doubt in her stereotypical little mind she thought that all Austrians were like you," Johnny interjected, trying to throw himself into the conversation smoothly – physically, he straightened up and leaned over the seat, grinning wildly at Aurelia.

"Actually, when we spoke in her office later, she asked me how the kangaroos were," Aurelia frowned as though recalling something unpleasant. "I forget sometimes how many people think that Austria is Australia." There was more scattered laughter and Chaya was sure that even her father cracked a smile at that one. "I guess that means I absolutely have to come to visit again – just to educate everyone, right?"

"You'd better," Miyami said forcefully. "It's nice to know that there are places other than school and bed. It's especially nice to see people from said places."

"And we would be more than happy to have you again," Chaya's dad said, winking at Aurelia in the rear-view mirror. It was almost as though he was trying to keep everything pleasant despite the hell Chaya knew she would be catching when she got home. Max seemed to sense this too, because when he turned around again to look at his friends, he sent her a sympathetic look.

"Thank you very much," Aurelia nodded to her father.

"When are you going to visit Austria?" Ray asked Chaya, whose turn it was to turn red now.

"Uhm…next October," she mumbled sheepishly. "Clarkson didn't want to let me go at all---don't give me that look, Daddy---but Max and I are the only fluent German speaking students at school---"

"---And I don't want to travel," Max continued. "Clarkson and the school _really_ want to establish ties with Austria---"

"---so I get to go," Chaya finished. "But…uh, next year…and for less time then Lia got to stay here."

There was an amused silence, and Aurelia looked from one blond to the other. "Okay, the finishing sentences thing? So not cute…"

(-)

"This place just goes on and on, doesn't it?" Chaya grumbled, looking around at the countless terminals, hallways and waiting areas in the 'departures' section of the airport. "It's like a freaking theme park attraction…"

While Chaya's father had gone off to exchange Aurelia's money for her, the six teenagers stood in the middle of the departures area, listening to the sound of planes taking off and peeking into the many little shops that lined the way. In the distance Chaya spotted a little coffee shop and pointed. "Want to get a drink?"

"No, they'll probably have something on the plane," the fuchsia haired girl replied with a grin. Her hair was loose today, and she wasn't wearing her contacts, so the others saw her violet eyes for the first time since she had arrived.

"What's your flight gonna be like?" Miyami asked. "Time-wise and all…"

Now the exchange student made a face. "Eight hours to Zürich, then I wait for three hours and then another hour on a little tiny plane that goes over the Alps." She shrugged. "My Oma couldn't get me a connecting flight and unless you want me to stay here and few weeks this is it."

"Much as we'd like you too, I think my parents are thinking of instituting major grounding for me once you're gone," Chaya grinned.

"Not that you don't deserve any of it," her twin brother said in a would-be-innocent way. "I guess I have to go out and live for you, huh?"

The blond girl narrowed her eyes. "Have I ever told you that you're evil?"

"Uh…every week since we were at least twelve."

"Just so you know." They stuck there tongues out at each other and Chaya turned away, intent on not paying attention to her annoying brother. Again, she focused on Aurelia, "All that aside, we're really going to miss you. You'd better regale us with loads of emails – or else we'll hop on the next flight and drive you insane!"

Aurelia smirked, raising her eyebrows challengingly. "And how are you going to do that if you're even more broke than I am?"

"Easy," Miyami piped up. "We'll get one of those job things."

Ray snorted. "I'm glad to see you're so sure of yourself."

"Shut up," the silver-haired girl said smartly, rounding on Aurelia again and seizing her hands eagerly. "So yeah, send us lots of email and call us and send gummy-bears and mozer gugle!"

"_Mozart Kugel_," Aurelia and Chaya corrected simultaneously, although neither of them looked as though they begrudged Miyami's lack of pronunciation. It was always amazing to hear her try to speak German, but it was even more so to know that she had become addicted to the tiny chocolate less than two days after Aurelia arrived. This was a huge deal considering Miyami couldn't stand chocolate in most cases but had tried one bite of the marzipan filled dark chocolate truffles and been completely hooked. Now that her only supplier was leaving, she had more to miss Aurelia for.

"Alright, I will," the Austrian smiled knowingly. "And I have a few things for you guys to remember as well."

"Like what?" Johnny grinned, sidling up to the younger girl and fluttering his eyelashes jokingly flirtatious. "Like your beautiful face and body and attitude and---stuff? Because don't worry, it's imprinted on my mind forever."

"Cool down, lover boy," Aurelia rolled her eyes, reaching over and pushing his face clean away from her. "_Wie sagt Mann das? T'ja, _Nice smoke, but no cigar."

"Yeah, down boy," Ray taunted, watching in amusement as Johnny reeled back and only managed to catch his balance again by grabbing hold of the cart that held Aurelia's luggage.

"Funny, Kon," the redhead grumbled. "Really witty."

"I thought so."

"Shut up!"

"Alright," Aurelia clapped her hands together, almost as though asking for attention and then pointed at Max, who looked slightly unnerved to be pointed out so quickly. "You, you need to muster up enough guts to ask that person out – stop being so shy or you'll never get anywhere." Before anyone could say anything, she turned to Miyami. "You need to set fire to Clarkson's office for me."

"Done." Miyami grinned, flashing a peace-sign towards the girl.

Aurelia turned to Ray, sizing him up. "You need to get a new girlfriend---preferably someone closer to your league." Ray opened his mouth to protest, but she had once again moved on to someone else. "Johnny, you need to get a dog. And Chaya---" she turned to her blond friend and smiled cheerfully. "You need to send me the play-by-play of everything that goes on with you and Hiwitari."

"Huh? What play-by-play," Chaya made an unimpressed face. "After everything that happened, what makes you think that next time one of us won't kill each other?"

Aurelia's eyes glinted in such a way that made Chaya nervous for a moment. "Face it, Chays, without that asshole you're life would be so boring."

"Hah! I welcome the boredom!" the blond replied indignantly, while her friends merely shook their heads and mumbled scepticisms under their breath. "What? It's true!" When they still didn't believe her she made a grumbling noise and rounded on her brother. "How come I never heard about this person that you like, huh? Huh! I'm your sister, entitled to all rights and knowledge in case I need to beat up someone and then I have to find out this major tidbit of information from a foreigner?"

Max rolled his eyes, mumbling something like 'that would be the reason', while Aurelia pretended to be offended and ostentatiously began to 'cry'. "Is that all I am to you, _Chaya-Amelia_? A _foreigner?_"

"Ha ha, very funny, spaz –"

"Well, it is kinda –"

"Shush, 'Yami."

"Can't make me."

"Nyah!"

"Nyah!"

"You guys are so immature," Ray deadpanned, looking up suddenly as Chaya's father returned. He was busily folding something into a thin white envelope, and when he reached them he handed it right away to Aurelia.

"Here you go," he said as soon as she took it. "Put it somewhere safe and keep an eye on that, you don't want it stolen. "We're lucky that I got it today and not yesterday, or you'd probably be getting less. The Euro is really going spastic lately. Inflation rates and all."

"_Danke schön_," Aurelia pronounced as she finished putting away her money.

"_Passengers on Flight 720 from Oklahoma City to Zurich are asked to proceed to Terminal 21A. Thank you." _

"Come on, we'd better go," Chaya announced, pulling Aurelia along. Ray rolled the cart with her bags behind them, constantly shouting at Miyami and Johnny who were trying to sit on the cart and have him push them. Max followed at a distance, looking preoccupied as well as slightly apprehensive. "You don't want miss your flight, right?" "There are no firecrackers this time, are there?" Chaya and Max's rather asked jovially as they approached the departure gate. Something in his voice suggested that he wasn't joking as much as he should have been." "Nope, only tons of illegal drugs and alcohol," Aurelia said earnestly, but when she saw Mr. Mizuhara's expression she laughed out loud and shook her head. "I'm joking, I promised." He breathed out in relief and offered his hand to Aurelia, who shook it strongly. "I really enjoyed my stay here, Mr. Mizuhara. Thank you for allowing me to stay with you." 

"It really was our pleasure," the man said, leaning over and hugging her quickly. "I'm just sorry that the last few days were so…nerve-wracking." Everyone sent meaningful glances at Chaya, which she ignored. After another quick good-bye, Mr. Mizuhara moved off a little ways to give the teenagers their own to say goodbye.

There was a slight pause and lull between them, before Aurelia sighed, smiling at them in a sad and cheerful way. "Well, that's that. It's been really great here."

"Call us when you get home," Chaya ordered as she hugged her friend. "I don't care how early it is here, you call."

"_Jahvoll_," the Austrian nodded, clapping Chaya on the back. She turned to the others and proceeded to hug and kiss them goodbye, making sure to kiss Johnny on both cheeks, picked up her bags, hugged Chaya one last time and then walked towards the terminal. "_Aufwiedersehen! Servus!" _

"_Tschuß! 'Wiedersehen! _

"Good-bye!"

"Bye!

"Ciao!"

"Sayonara!"

The group of five watched, waving as their pink-haired friend marched over to the gate, showed her boarding pass and disappeared on her way to the baggage check. They watched her outline behind the blurry glass slowly disappear and then stood there for a long moment, just waiting as the other, non-important passengers got into line.

"So…are we all set?" Chaya's dad said after a minute or two, coming to get them. There were a chorus of affirmations and the five teens followed Mr. Mizuhara out towards the parking lot.

"You know?" Johnny declared after they got back to the car. "I'm really gonna miss her. Bethany just won't be the same without a little foreign blood."

Chaya smirked.

"You're just still shocked that she kissed you," she grinned, looking over the two bright purple lipstick marks on either of Johnny's cheek. Johnny turned such a dark color that he almost matched the lipstick.

"She wore her grape flavoured lip-gloss too," Johnny said in a jokingly dreamy voice.

Miyami's hand came out of nowhere and swatted him. He ducked, swearing at her, clueless, while Chaya and the others just watched.

"Come on, lover boy, we have to get home," Ray joked. "That way you can sit longingly by your computer, waiting for a love note from her…"

"Shut up, Kon!"

"Oh, so I was right? Go me."

* * *

Also, das war den letzte Kapital mit die Aurelia. Sie wird im nachsten Geschichte zurück kommen aber bis dann...kudos to Lobo-Chan for allowing me to use Aurelia.

R&R,

Kuriness


	26. Thorn in My Side

___**Drowning in the Clouds**_

_Author:_ KuriQuinn

_Title:_ Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom:_ Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all

_Fanfiction Disclaimer:_ Chaya is my own creation, as is Haley, Jennifer, Claire and anyone else that you don't recognize. Miyami Kinomiya belongs to Mags, my best friend. Aurelia Delk belongs to Band-Freak aka Lobo-Chan. And that is all for now...Flash Jameson belongs to Flash, Iris Messana belongs to Iz

_Rating:_ R for language, mature themes and possible violence in later chapters

_Pairing:_ Figure it out.

_Takes-Place:_ Alternate Universe

_Summary:_ Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Thorn in My Side**

With Aurelia's departure, life in Bethany seemed to slow down almost to a standstill. As November slowly flowed into December with much less event than the opening months at Bethany High, Chaya's promise to keep behaved had actually panned out. Since the month before, she had been ungrounded by her parents and had settled into a less active life – even though this didn't stop her from getting the odd (or not so odd) detention.

Her weekly sessions with the guidance councilor weren't as much hassle as she had originally thought they would be. Mrs. Coolidge, the school guidance councilor, was a kind faced, middle-aged African-American woman that Chaya wasn't sure if she disliked and wasn't sure if she liked. There was a small, tiny part about her that she didn't trust which kept her from actually opening up to the woman, but the rest was all likeable and she was easy to talk to. She seemed to think that Chaya was making progress, because by the end of three weeks, she had decided to cut their sessions down to twice a month – as it was, it would resume after the Christmas holidays.

Although bored with playing the good girl, Chaya couldn't help but appreciate the free time it gave her to hang out with her friends – her detention attendance was actually dwindling, to the surprise of the teachers who knew nothing of her little deal. She'd spent more time with her friends and her brother outside of school than before, and although slightly unnerved by the quiet nature of everything, she liked it. Her favorite pastime in the recent weeks was to go with Miyami, who had joined Johnny's band after Aurelia's departure and watch as the group fooled around instead of actually playing any music.

The mad rush to study for the Christmas exams had begun in the first week of December, as had a series of thefts regarding peoples notes. The students were being encouraged to bring home all of their notes as soon as they could to keep the thefts at a minimum – or so Clarkson kept repeating at every General Assembly. Thankfully, the actual classes ended on the second Friday in December – it had been Desk and Locker Cleaning day, as well as a half-school day to prepare for exams. Deciding that with the school empty and avoid of any annoying students who would want to take advantage of the half-day and go home, Chaya had opted to stay at the school and study for her math exam, which was coming up the following Monday.

Mostly because she had nothing else to do, Miyami did the same.

"Gahhh!" the aforementioned yelled, throwing down her notes so that they hit the ground with a muffled slap. The crumpled, pencil marked papers littered the ground around the two girls like a inner snow-fall. "I am _never_ going to remember all of this! Even if I have a memory aid I'll probably spontaneously combust!"

"You're lucky that Pythagoras is really all you're learning for this half of the year," Chaya mumbled angrily as she looked up from the abomination known as a 'math journal'. "I have to learn factoring and statistical analysis. Care to switch?"

"Not a chance," the Asian girl said simply, a sardonic look upon her face. "What's the deal with that, anyway? We're the same level but I'm learning something to do with a creepy Greek vegetarian and you're starting a job as USA Stat Lady…"

"Ask the teachers," Chaya replied, frowning. She put down her pencil for a moment and then pressed the palms of her hands into her eyes until little stabbing sparks assaulted her vision from behind her eyelids.

Contemplating the school system was like trying to understand the theory of relativity without any prior knowledge of it – impossible. The math classes at Bethany High were a complicated thing – privately, Chaya was sure that not even the teachers knew how it was supposed to work. Both she and Miyami were in the advanced math courses but were not in the same class.

It had something to do with the number of students and classroom shortages, Chaya knew, but she didn't like the way that although Miyami's class was only freshmen, her class had been integrated to join the junior math class. Especially not with who she had to share each class with. Just thinking of Kai Hiwatari made Chaya's blood boil and she hurriedly tried to distract herself with something else. 'Like how the stupid classes learn stupid different material."

Even though the final exam would be the same for all of the students taking that particular course, the rest of the courses were different. Apparently it was because the teachers wanted to keep cheating and homework copying down to a minimum; they had decided on an option where one class learned the last subjects of the year first, while the other learned the first. So that was why Miyami was learning Pythagorean theorem and isometrics and Chaya was learning factoring and statistics…

It was stupid.

A loud, ferocious growl interrupted her thoughts and Chaya immediately turned red, especially when she noticed the amused and humorous look that her best friend was sending her. "Please tell me that was your stomach and not a land mine."

Chaya stuck out her tongue and then mumbled. "I actually am kind of hungry. I only had a grilled-cheese sandwich and half a pizza for lunch."

Miyami made a face. "How can you still be hungry after that?"

"I don't know, I just am – and it's not a good thing because the minute I eat anything that isn't vegetable based I turn into a cow."

"Oh stop it," Miyami rolled her eyes. "All we need now is for you to start acting girly and worry about your figure, leading to anorexia or something and we'll be set."

"Shut up," Chaya snorted. "I'm not doing shit-all like that, I was just complaining as usual – not all of us have the luxury of your body-type remember?"

Miyami yawned obviously. "This conversation is boring. Let's do something."

Chaya wanted to laugh and shake her head at Miyami, but refrained from moving. It never failed to amaze her how when her friend didn't want to hear something she could quickly change the subject and make it seem normal. After a moment of pause, she shrugged and grinned.

"'Yami, your idea of 'doing something' usually includes getting into trouble and pranking – which I promised not to do on school grounds on pain of expulsion." She got off of the floor and hoisted herself onto the teacher desk, pulling her legs to her so that she was sitting in a lotus position. The classrooms were all empty, at the order of Ms. Clarkson, for the exam period. The blank walls made the classes look more jail-like than usual, something that the students were not surprised by at all. "Besides the odd detention if I do anything else that pisses Clarkson off and can be filed in a police report I get shipped off to military school." Miyami laughed out loud. "I'm not kidding."

"I know, that's why it's funny," the silver-eyed girl said brazenly. "The image of you with a buzz cut and trying to scrape through the obstacle courses is really funny."

"Shut up."

"So, does that include insult fights?" Miyami asked, getting up on the desk next to Chaya and getting into an identical position. "Because I'm beginning to miss Kai's 'you train-wrecked freak' insults and your 'insufferable bastard' come-backs."

"Let's not go there," Chaya said, her voice slightly strained, "let's just go back to studying. Our exam's only two days away."

Miyami screwed up her face and tipped herself back so that she was lying on the hardwood desk. For a moment she was silent, almost as though she was contemplating something, before she asked, "Wait…trouble – detention! Don't you have another one before the holidays? I heard you have to come in special on an exam day just to serve it."

"Yeah," Chaya sighed. "But that's only tomorrow. I can't believe I got a detention just for _looking_ like I was chewing gum."

"Jen says that you were chewing gum," Miyami raised her eyebrows at the ceiling.

"So? I swallowed it before Giles looked in my mouth."

The silver haired girl shook her head. "You really are something."

"Yeah, well, I'm something that's bored now too," Chaya pouted, her legs practically jumping out of the lotus position. "This is your fault."

"Why does everything always become my fault?" Miyami demanded as the blond girl hopped off of the desk and doggedly went back to her exam notes.

"Because you're just so blamable."

Miyami glared. Chaya ignored her and was silent a moment. There was a tense, unnerving silence as she pouted at the papers, a look of concentration on her face. Miyami sat up from the desk and peered at her, watching and waiting for something. She was about to ask something, when all of a sudden, Chaya's look of concentration changed into one of comprehension and evil glee.

Slowly, her look of concentration changed into one of comprehension and then a look of evil glee appeared.

"I've got it!"

"What?" Miyami asked excitedly, swinging her legs around the desk and looking as though she was waiting for Chaya to announce a monumental declaration of something. "Got what?"

"The answer to this problem! If I use the FOIL method to calculate the problem, then the answer should be thirty-six squared plus three squared plus twenty-four _A_ plus _A _which would be – "'

"Forget it, Einstein," Miyami groaned, slumping visibly. "I thought you had an idea to end the boredom, not to answer a math problem that I don't even get."

"Dude, I'm not here to think for you."

"Well, if I suggest anything, you'll go chicken on me because you don't want to be expelled."

Chaya sniffed. "You should be studying anyway."

"But I don't wanna!"

Chaya pursed her lips, looking very much like her mother, for a moment. "If I didn't know you and your motives better I'd say you were trying to get me expelled." Miyami grumbled. "Here, I've got an idea…I'll help you study." She motioned for the younger girl to come back over to their study haven on the floor. It took a few moments before the girl did, pouting in annoyance the entire time.

"Okay, so what's the basic formula for Pythagoras?" Chaya asked, picking up her friends' textbook and squinting down at the minute letters and symbols.

"A-squared plus B-squared equals C-squared."

"Right. So…" Chaya stood up and approached the board, "this should be easy for us to figure out."

She drew a rough triangle on the blackboard and put in the measurements of the two sides, according to everything that was in the book.

"That looks like a sack of potatoes, Chays."

"Shush! You're the artist, not me!" The blond grumbled as she followed the formula in the book. After a few tries, and a few comments and interjections from Miyami, she managed to solve the infernal thing. With a smirk she wrote down the answer on the bored, underlining it with chalk so that it was thick and caked off. "There. A-squared equals six-point-seven-three-three."

"That doesn't seem right," Miyami murmured. She too stood up now, approached the chalkboard and took a piece of chalk, drawing another triangle with the same dimensions nearby. "Don't these legs look almost the same length?"

"Maybe we're just not seeing it right," Chaya frowned. "It says that it's not drawn to scale. What's the unit measure?"

"Feet."

Chaya mused silently, and then blinked. An idea had formed in the regions of her brain…and once again, her evil, plotting grin had appeared on her face. She hopped to her feet. "Be right back!"

Chaya was immensely amused by Miyami's awed and confused expression when she walked into the room ten minutes later, two large tin cans that weighed her down in one hand and a paintbrush in the other. In fact, she was sure she had never seen Miyami's eyes so wide before…

"The hell---?"

"We need to see it in a bigger picture," Chaya smirked in explanation, her plan obviously dawning on the other girl. For two seconds Miyami looked keenly at the two cans of paint, until she seemed to realize something, and frowne at Chaya.

"Chays, weren't you just worried about expulsion?"

"I have to clean up this room anyway," Chaya shrugged, a mischievous glint in her eye. "'Sides, Clarkson's not around. What she doesn't know can't hurt her. Right?

Miyami reflected on this, and then nodded. "So, what color is it?"

"Black."

"Score."

The two girls set to work at the far end of the class, first measuring the amount of space needed and then painting it up on the whitewash wall of the empty classroom. The contrast of the black against the jail-like plain white walls was a shock at first. Chaya felt a giddy sense of illegality in what she and Miyami were doing, but she kept on telling herself they'd be able to clean it up…somehow. Or they could just blame it on someone they didn't like, that always worked.

After a few hurried strokes, a hastily drawn black triangle stood out on the wall. The two girls stood back to admire their work, and Chaya loudly counted out the length, before squinting at the book that Miyami held in her hands. "Okay, we have six feet, and five feet, and---what was it again?"

"It still doesn't look like the problem in the book," Miyami complained. She studied her notes quickly, and then swore. "They never specifically called it a right angle triangle, did they?"

"Well, there we go," Chaya smirked. Then she frowned. "But now we are stuck with a defaced wall."

The two girls exchanged looks, both considering the worst end of the situation if they couldn't fix the mess. A sudden feeling of nervous doubt exploded in Chaya's chest, before her adventurous and stupid side drowned it out again as usual.

"Let's do another one!"

(-)

"Fifty-two-point-five-squared!" Miyami yelled triumphantly, throwing down the paintbrush; it hit the floor with a sick sounding thump, staining the floor and the girls clothing with flying paint. Her usually pale skin was flushed and marred with spots and splatters of paint, but she didn't seem to notice any of this.

"I got that too," Chaya called over from her wall on the opposite side of the room. Streaks of paint with arrows and numbers made a collage of black and white throughout the room. She looked up at her triangle and it's numbers, a giddy pride welling up in her. "Whoa, we're really getting good at this – "

"What the hell do you think you kids are doing?"

Both girls stopped what they were doing and tensed, both knowing that they had been caught. Chaya immediately felt the guilt and anger at herself wash through her at having done something so stupid…just because she bored. Slowly, both of the teenagers turned around to face the person that had caught them in the act of defacing school property. Chaya's heart beat slowly returned to normal when she realized who it was.

"Oh, hey Jackson!" she began slowly, clearing her throat nervously at the old janitor, who was staring at them in disbelief. He was holding his broom in hand, gripping it tightly as though refraining from beating them over the heads with it as he glared up at the black-painted walls. For a moment Chaya was sure she could see the old man's right eye twitching. "It's not what it looks like, trust me."

"It looks like you're studying for a test using my walls."

Silence.

"Okay, it's exactly what it looks like," Chaya amended. She looked up at him pleadingly. "Don't tell Clarkson? We'll clean it up, promise!"

"No doubt you will," he nodded. He cast his eyes on Miyami. "You too."

"What?" the silver haired girl demanded.

"Well, you helped make the mess, so you can join us tomorrow," he smirked.

"T-tomorrow!" Miyami sputtered, at the same time that Chaya cried out, "What!"

"But I have band practice!"

"But I have a life!"

"You should have thought about that before," he shrugged as the two girls watched him as though completely disbelieving.

"Geez, dude, you were supposed to be cool," Miyami accused, although she looked as though she had resigned herself to the fact.

"I am cool. I'm not murdering you for screwing up my clean walls and hiding your body in a trash bin." The two girls blinked, wondering if he was joking this time. The look in his eyes made them a little uneasy…

Jackson rolled his eyes, almost in disgust. "I'm kidding, you chumps," he snorted.

Miyami pointed at him angrily. "If Johnny decides to kill you, I'm not going to help you! Don't expect me to save your life again!"

Jackson raised his eyebrow at her. "And when did you save my life?"

Miyami crossed her arms and jutted her chin outwards. "I didn't want to use this, Jackson, but remember last year when you were walking down the hall and I noticed a patch of waxy-buildup – you were like two or three steps away and there was no time to push you out of the way. I had no choice but to throw myself on the wax."

Jackson paused, peering at her, before commenting sarcastically, "I thought you were sleeping."

Miyami also took a moment, and then cleared her throat sheepishly. "Well…once I was down there…"

Chaya merely shook her head at her friend's pathetic attempts. "You suck at threats, Yami…"

Miyami started to say something, but was cut off when Jackson walked forwards to study one of the triangle emblazoned on the wall. "This one's wrong, by the way. You squared the hypotenuse wrong."

"How do you square a hypotenuse wro – " she stopped and blinked, before smacking herself in the head. "We only doubled it – crap!"

"And you're supposed to be in high math," he rolled his eyes, bending down with a grunt to pick up a paintbrush. "I'll show you a little trick with the Pythagorean Theorem. What you have to do, is…"

The rest of his speech was drowned out as the teens watched in disbelief as the janitor himself began to deface the already defaced wall, painting in large, broad strokes. Chaya immediately had the sense that she was in a very strange school…Even if they would be cleaning up this mess, what normal janitor willingly made a mess in his school?

"Hey, we're running out of room in here, let's do another classroom!" Miyami cried out loud, and Chaya grinned, looking imploringly at Jackson, who had stopped painting and was raising an eyebrow at them in his characteristic manner.

"Yeah! In fact, why don't we redo the entire school? It's getting boring anyhow with just the white…it's like jail."

Jackson raised his eyebrow higher.

"We volunteer two additional Saturdays," Chaya bargained after a pause, blinking innocently at him. "This'll be the best prank ever, and you could just say that I was cleaning toilets or something so that I don't get expelled!"

"And why should I do that?" he demanded gruffly.

Chaya pondered, and then grinned.

"Because you _love_ me. Everyone _loves_ me. You wouldn't want me expelled, would ya? You'd lose your primary helper and your ticket to piss off Ms. Giles!"

Jackson shrugged, clearly turning over the offer in his mind, before snorting. "Fine. But if it backfires, don't blame me."

"Score!" the girls cheered, running out of the room.

"Hey Jacky, got some other colors?" Chaya hollered from the room next door to the painted classroom.

"It's Jackson!" he snarled through the walls, and she thought that she heard him add, "That kid is gonna get herself killed one day…"

* * *

YES, IT IS SLIGHTLY SHORT AND BORING, BUT SO IS EXAM TIME. NEW THRILLS TO COME IN LATER, SO KEEP READING! THE NEXT TWO CHAPPIES ACTUALLY HAVE A POINT! 


	27. Timber!

___**Drowning in the Clouds**_

_Author:_ KuriQuinn

_Title:_ Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom:_ Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all

_Fanfiction Disclaimer:_ Chaya is my own creation, as is Haley, Jennifer, Claire and anyone else that you don't recognize. Miyami Kinomiya belongs to Mags, my best friend. Aurelia Delk belongs to Band-Freak aka Lobo-Chan. And that is all for now...Flash Jameson belongs to Flash, Iris Messana belongs to Iz

_Rating:_ R for language, mature themes and possible violence in later chapters

_Pairing:_ Figure it out.

_Takes-Place:_ Alternate Universe

_Summary:_ Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

* * *

>0

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Timber! **

"_Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle-bell-rock_!" Chaya shouted at the top of her lungs as she danced around the living room, hanging up the last of the Christmas decorations – frosted glass orbs, candy-canes and tinsel strewn sashes. Waltzing around in a twirl, she pulled out the snow globes from the box labelled 'X-mas Stuff' and set them up on the mantel place, careful not to knock over the silver menorah that her mother always left there, even though Hanukkah was long since over.

Chaya had always found it odd but interesting that although her family wasn't religious at all her mother still clung to the traditions she had observed as a child – of course, another part of her found it a little sad that her family really didn't have any real traditions for the holiday season. Although they did go to visit Judy's family for Hanukkah and other Jewish holidays, there were no holidays that they as a family partook in. Religion had never been a huge issue. Chaya supposed that it was because of her parents different religious backgrounds – her father was Shinto and her mother was Jewish – they had both decided that their children should grow up following whichever religious tradition they were the most comfortable with. And although for the first part of her life Chaya had grown up with tendencies towards her Jewish roots, she had long since decided to experiment for herself where she really fit in a cosmic sense of things…

Not that this stopped her from loving Christmastime…even though her family didn't celebrate the birth of Christ, they did celebrate the holiday as one of togetherness – so they gave into the consumer view of Christmas, no family was perfect.

As she continued to sing the jumpy, fast-beat Christmas carol she noticed her twin rolling his eyes at her from his place in the window where he was adjusting the brightly coloured lights. Smirking, she made sure to sing louder and more obnoxiously. "_Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring_!" She stopped for a moment, her singing interrupted by a loud cough, before she cleared her throat and continued again. "_Snowin' and blowin' – " _

"You know…," Max interrupted, a smirk identical to hers on his face. "I think you're the only person capable of coughing in the middle of a song and then continuing as though nothing happened, making it sound good all the same."

Chaya stuck out her tongue. "I also think I'm the only person capable of failing an English reading comprehension test," she groaned. "And it's my first language!"

"Oh come on, you probably did very well," Max said, leaving his window for a moment to sit on the arm of the sofa, watching his sister. "You ace everything language related."

"I dunno, reading an excerpt of _War and Peace_…" Chaya trailed off, screwing up her face in concentration as though she was remembering ever part of the test. "Uh…yeah…" She stared off into space for a moment, but was brought back by a hand on her shoulder.

She jumped, meeting the blue eyes of her twin, who was looking at her with a grin. "Are you okay? You spaced out there – and you look a little grey…"

"Fine," Chaya flashed a grin, and then hopping around again as though needing to be busy. "It's the night before Christmas, right? Meaning Christmas tree and presents are in less than twenty-four hours – not even! We get to open one each tonight, right? I hope you got me something worthy of this momentous occasion."

"You're insane," Max smirked, reaching over and grabbing his sister. She cried out laughingly as he wrestled her into a headlock and began to rub his knuckles against her hair. She shrieked good-naturedly, trying to push him off and yelling joking obscenities at him.

"Chaya!" the loud voice of their father coming from the shop downstairs interrupted their little game, and they stopped moving although they remained in the same position of rough-housing. "Or Max! Can one of you bring down the new shipment of batteries from the basement!"

"Sure thing, dad!" Max called, still not releasing his grip on Chaya, even though now she had resumed her fruitless fighting. "Chaya will get right on it."

"Spaz," she grunted, lightly biting Max's arm so that he let her go. He yelped and released her, and the twins regarded each other with mock-anger for a moment, before Chaya snorted and shoved past him. "Always setting me up…"

"Oh come on, you set yourself up," was his reply as she went to do what her father had asked her.

'Annoying brothers,' she thought grimly as she swung around the stairs and skipped down the three flights.

The basement was the smallest floor of the house, Chaya decided as she finally made it down the stairs. It was also the dustiest. Crates were piled together in the back, along with the rest of the shipments for the store. In another corner a mass of plastic bags and cardboard boxes that looked as though they had been forgotten about for years sat untouched near an old couch. Chaya was sure that these things contained files and other stuff from her parent's old jobs, as well as old toys and clothes from hers and Max's childhood that they hadn't gotten around to giving away yet.

After a moment of trying to get her bearings concerning the clutter in the basement, she spotted the crate of batteries that her father had been talking about and walked towards it. With a groan, she picked it up and began to heave it back over the stairs, nearly dropping it because of how dusty it was.

Kicking the door of the basement out of her way, she lugged the crate through the house and towards the entrance to the hobby-shop.

"Don't drop that," Judy commented coming out of the kitchen with a cup of tea in her hands, her beady blue eyes surveying her daughter appraisingly as she passed her. Chaya rolled her eyes at her mother and entered the hobby shop.

When she entered the shop, she noticed at once how empty it actually was for Christmas Eve. In her experience, usually stores were filled with people on this day. Her father was talking to someone at the counter, but when he spotted her, he cut short the conversation and waved her over, grinning. "Ah, here she is. My new little helper."

"Funny dad," she deadpanned and passed him over the crate. "_Just For Laughs_ worthy…"

"I should never have brought you with me that time," her fathers brown eyes twinkled and she laughed, letting him rustle her hair. She remembered when they had been in Quebec and he had taken her to the _Just For Laughs_ festival. It had definitely been a night to remember. "Here, sweetie, take these to your mother. She'll want to see them."

Chaya felt her hands close around the mail turned to leave, nodding at the nameless customer before she started back through the door and up the their living quarters. As she walked she glanced over the letters curiously, wanting one of them to be for her, but knowing that considering she didn't pay bills yet and that none of her friends from overseas even knew how to write letters lately (email could be such a horrible thing sometimes) it was one of those 'hope-against-hope- situations.

"Bill, bill, ad, catalogue, letter from Becky, bill –" Chaya paused in her search for a moments, flipping back through the letters so that she got back to the small, pink envelope that was addressed from her sister. "Becky?"

Chaya frowned, dropping the rest of the mail on the stairs for a moment so that she could rip open the envelope. It smelled strongly of some expensive perfume that Becky had probably sprayed the card with. It was one of her annoying habits to subject other people to what she thought smelled good. Chaya, in the meantime, was gagging and trying to breathe through the strong scent that hadn't been stamped out by the card's sojourn in the postal system.

She hadn't heard from her sister since Rosh Hashanah, which she didn't find fair. How could you just not talk to or contact your family after spending your entire life with them? She didn't want her sister around, of course, but deep down she liked to know that she was at least alive somewhere.

Chaya and Becky had never gotten along. Becky had never been one of those amazing older sisters. After all, for eight years Becky had been raised as an only child. She had been raised by her genius parents to be a genius, had been liked by everyone and had been so spoiled that it was cute. But then when Chaya and Max had been born, Chaya was sure that it had changed for Becky. She was old enough to have to help out with the babies and not complain about it. Despite the constant smile and manipulative way of making people think that she was an angel at what she did, Chaya knew for sure that her sister resented her and Max. Or had for the most part. She couldn't remember one single time that Becky had willing played with or paid attention to her and Max. I t was always 'later'. But as later went on, Chaya found that it wasn't her and Max that Becky seemed to discriminate against. It was just her.

Whichever country they were in, with whichever of Becky's friends that were around, she constantly babied and spoiled Max when she was around, but when Chaya was around it was only to tell her she was annoying. Which perhaps was what had led Chaya to become such a trouble maker. Amazingly, she had never resented Max. She had seen right away that it wasn't him at fault, but Becky. And the fact that her older, stunning sister could do no wrong in her parents eyes always angered her even further.

'Becky's what you call book smart, street stupid,' Chaya thought with grim satisfaction as she finally ripped through the paper and glanced at the card. She felt like rolling her eyes, which were still watering at the fumigating perfume.

_'Dear Mom, Dad and twins, Happy Hanukkah – I'm getting married! Call me, love Becky.' _

"Only you would put something like that in a holiday card," Chaya grumbled at her sister despite her absence, not really caring about the news of possible nuptials. "Why do we always have to call you? Can't you not be selfish for once and –"

"Chaya, who are you talking to?" her mother's voice asked. Obviously she had returned to the kitchen after Chaya had come upstairs.

Chaya cleared her throat, trying to dislodge the annoying lump there. It had been bugging her since this morning. She knew she was getting sick, which was horrible. Who wanted to be sick during the holidays?

She trudged into the kitchen and thrust the card into her mothers hands. "It's from your perfect daughter."

"Stop being so childish," her mother rolled her eyes. "And how many times do I have to tell you not to read my mail? It's rude. Honestly, sometimes I think you purposefully misbehave just to ruin my days."

"It had my name on it too, you know!"

"Don't use that tone of voice with me, young lady," was Judy's reply.

Chaya opened her mouth to retort, but was cut off as a sudden fit of coughing stopped her. As she tried to catch her breath, she held back a few curses. She really was getting sick…

A thought suddenly occurred to her.

What if she wasn't actually getting sick? What if this was an asthma attack? She hadn't had one in a while – even the beginnings of the one back in November hadn't really been able to pass for one.

She left her mother behind her and hurried up the stairs to her room to find her pump, just in case. Having an asthma attack was on her list of things not to deal with over the holidays. She didn't usually jump to conclusions like this, but she just had this one thought…

When she finally got up over the stairs and into her room, she knew for a fact that this was exactly what it was. Her chest felt tight and constricted, and no matter how many times she tried to clear her throat and swallow, just to breathe, she still felt the lump was there.

'Stupid,' she thought angrily, groaning as she entered hers and Max's room and looking through the place for her asthma pump. The mess of papers and clothing in the room hindered her greatly, but she didn't get why. She always kept her inhaler on top of her _Nickelback_ CD's on her bedside table, but when she went to look for it, it wasn't there.

A slight note of panic set in, but she ignored it. Freaking out was not going to help her situation any. It would just make her tense up even more. Nothing was wrong, she would just calm down and look around – her inhaler was around here somewhere.

After a few moments of fruitlessly ploughing through everything in her room, Chaya was sitting in a pile on her floor, glaring, frustrated, around the room. "MAAAX!"

"What!" he yelled back from downstairs.

"Have you seen my pump?" she called, but stopped short as her breath caught for a moment. She made a coughing noise. Her breath was coming in short, desperate spurts now.

"No, why?"

Chaya didn't reply, but got up so that she could sit on the bed, her shoulders hunched as she tried to breathe. Her breathing was shallow and faster than usual.

Drawn by his sisters lack of response, Max appeared in the room, looking worried. When he saw her hunched position and that her eyes were screwed up as she tried to breathe, he was at her side in an instant. "Chaya? Are you okay?"

"Do I look it?" she rasped.

"Where's your pump?"

She shook her head, not knowing the answer to that. The best she could guess was that she had put it somewhere for just a second and couldn't remember where it was – and her spare one was in her gym locker at school.

"Have you checked your peak flow meter – where's your – what do you think triggered it?" Max was now moving over towards her, looking around the room and joining in the search. "Honestly, Chays, you know what I think it is? I think this room is so damn messy that all the dust build-up is finally taking it's toll on you – "

She ignored Max's frustrated jibes at her disorganization, reflecting that she had been feeling short of breath all day – and that card from Becky hadn't helped. The disgusting perfume was obviously strong if she could still smell it. It was like it had just stuck in her nose and that was it. A feeling like rolling was going on in her stomach and her chest was hurting worse. "Max…" Her voice sounded like she had just swallowed sandpaper or something. "I…feel like I'm going to throw up."

Her brother was at her side immediately, looking her over grimly. She saw how his eyes flickered to her lips and suddenly he was moving across the room. Confused she caught a look of herself in the mirror, her heart chilled when she noticed the strange bluish-grey tinge around of her mouth. One of the symptoms of an acute asthma attack…

'Shit.'

"Okay, come here," Max said, helping her up and over to the desk and chair across the room. "Sit."

She did so and Max helped to arrange her into a position on the chair where she was straddling the chair, her elbows resting straight on the top of the chair. She smiled weakly at him at his attempt to help her keep her spine and ribcage stabilized, just so that she could breathe easier.

"Mom?" Max called outside in a would-be calm voice. He had no intention of leaving the room while his sister was gasping for breath. "Can you call the doctor? Chaya's having an asthma attack…it's pretty bad…I have no idea where her pump is."

Through her concentration of gulping for air, Chaya heard her mother's chair push back quickly and the sound of her footsteps hurrying towards the phone. Max was looking through the room for her pump, though she could tell that it was to no avail.

Her mother appeared before the door, her face drawn into a grim line.

"Dr. Bernstien isn't responding. We'll have to go to the hospital emergency…come on, your father's already started the car."

Max hurriedly helped Chaya to her feet, trying to keep her in a position where her back was totally straight, and they moved quickly down the stairs and to the car, where Chaya's dad was already waiting.

"Hold in there, eh, kiddo?" he asked as Max put her in the front seat and he and his mother got into the back. Her neck area and the places below her ribs seemed to moving inward as she breathed, and she had started to cough again. Her head hurt from the pressure and she wondered if it was possible for her throat to be bleeding.

The streets and sights were a blur of color as her father drove towards the hospital, and she felt Max clutching her hand comfortingly from behind her as she leaned forward and closed her eyes. Why did she have to born with asthma she felt herself cursing as she tried to clear her air passage once again.

She felt the dizzying blindness that came with lack of oxygen and began gasping for air even louder.

"Hang in there, Chaya," Max whispered. She could see his scared blue eyes in the rear-view mirror and nodded. A part of her thanked whatever deity that was up there that her family had bought a house near the hospital. Waiting for the ambulance would have taken took long.

After what seemed an eternity of moving and blurred colours, the sound of herself gasping for air loud in her ears, the car stopped and she was hurried out of the car, towards the building.

And that's all that she saw, was the big red letters 'EMERGENCY', before she passed out in her fathers arms.

(-)

"…it was a close one…"

"…but she'll be okay now, right...?"

"…she should. Her breathing's stabilized and her muscles seem relaxed…"

Chaya blinked her eyes open. She was lying on her back in a room with a white ceiling, a mask over her nose and mouth. She could feel the spray within and recognized the thing on her face as an asthma nebulizer. There was an IV needle sticking into her arm and she was wearing a hospital gown.

Max's face appeared overhead, looking tired and worried.

"You awake?" he asked, trying to smile, though his eyes still sent her a look of gravity. "You had us all worried there, Chays."

"Sorry," she whispered, her voice sounding strangely nasal in the nebulizer. A hand reached over and took the mask off.

"That should be enough for now," the male voice of someone else said, and Chaya decided that the nurse or doctor was there with them. "You, young lady, are really lucky." She blinked when the brown-haired, brown-eyed nurse leaned over her and grinned. She felt her cheeks heat up. Her nurse was really good looking... "The way I hear it, you lost your pump. I don't need to tell you how important it is to keep that around, do I?"

Wordless, she shook her head.

"The boy's right," Judy was saying, her hands on her hips near the bed. She looked like she was out of breath and even beneath her make-up she looked pale and tired. "You should take more care. And in the state that you're room's in I'm surprised you can find anything."

"I bet you're just mad that I interrupted you reading Becky's card," Chaya mumbled in reply, weary and not really caring what she was saying. She could hear a sharp intake of breath and then the sound of her mother's feet as she angrily left the room.

"Chaya," Max groaned, and she could hear her father saying something reproving.

"Sweetie, don't say things like that. Your mother was just as worried as the rest of us – I don't know why you can't just cut her some slack."

Chaya ignored him and after a moment, he sighed heavily and left the room. Max sent her a long suffering glance, but remained with her, squeezing her shoulder. She shrugged and looked down, her eyes falling on the IV line in her arm. For a moment she blinked, not comprehending, but then a swirling bout of nausea began to rise up through her. "Needle. There's a needle in my arm. Why is there a needle in my arm? Someone, get this thing out of my arm before I – "

"Don't look at it," the nurse suggested, smiling at her as he adjusted her bed so that she was sitting up. "Aichmophobic I assume?"

"Whatever you say," Chaya said, willing to agree with anything that he said right at this moment. Both because he had amazing blue eyes and because trying to understand things right now was not really an option. Her head felt like a balled up piece of insulation.

He laughed.

"Hey, I'm Ashton, I'll be your nurse for the next twenty-four hours. Anything you need, I'll get for you."

"Right, yeah, okay that wo – " She cut off, her eyes going wide for a moment. "What! What do you mean, twenty-four hours! It's Christmas Eve! Holidays! What time is it now? You can't keep me in here over Christmas! Max, what's going on…?"

Max winced, looking a little uncomfortable.

"The doctors want to keep you in here for another twenty-four hours to make sure you don't have another attack," he said quietly.

"But…but…BUT IT'S CHRISTMAS!" Chaya yelled. "I refuse to miss my Christmas celebrations because I'm stuck on my ass in a hospital!"

Max sent Ashton a warning look and the nurse promptly left the room after returning a look of thanks to the blond boy.

"Now, Chaya…calm down. We just want to make sure you're okay - "

"I am okay! I'm peachy! I'm freaking great! Except for the needle in my arm I'm wonderful – get that damn thing out of my arm already!"

Max groaned, rubbing his temples. "This is not going to be a pleasant experience…"

* * *

>0 

Well, Maxie has one thing right…

Read and Review,

Kuriness


	28. Snowball Murderer

___**Drowning in the Clouds**_

_Author:_ KuriQuinn

_Title:_ Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom:_ Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all

_Fanfiction Disclaimer:_ Chaya is my own creation, as is Haley, Jennifer, Claire and anyone else that you don't recognize. Miyami Kinomiya belongs to Mags, my best friend. Aurelia Delk belongs to Band-Freak aka Lobo-Chan. And that is all for now...Flash Jameson belongs to Flash, Iris Messana belongs to Iz

_Rating:_ R for language, mature themes and possible violence in later chapters

_Pairing:_ Figure it out.

_Takes-Place:_ Alternate Universe

_Summary:_ Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

Note: I'd like to take this opportunity to warn people that I fully support homosexual couples, so if you hadn't already noticed in my work that I tend to add them in, here's the thing: I do. If you don't like it you can either get over it and keep reading, or steer yourself towards the back button. I apologize for not making it clear before hand, so if I've tainted anyone…uhm…sorry. So yeah, there are yaoi hints in this chapter and probably most to come.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Snowball Murderer **

"Merry Christmas, kiddo," Ashton said as he appeared in Chaya's room with a tray of hospital pancakes and Jello the next morning. He slid the tray of food onto the tray part of the hospital bed and grinned down at her pleasantly.

"And what's so merry about it?" the blond grumbled, glaring up at her nurse and not even bothering with the food for the moment. "It's seven a.m., I'm in a hospital, alone, I'm wearing a dress with the ass hanging out of it and there's no Christmas tree here."

"Well, there is a Christmas tree down the hall," he told her, but then noticed her glare. "But you can't go see it…right…" He shrugged. "Well that's your fault."

"How is me being strapped to a hospital bed my fault!" Chaya yelled, pulling against the straps that were holding her to the bed. These were usually kept for those patients that were becoming violent.

"Look, I'm sorry about that, really. It's not that we don't trust you –" Ashton paused and then grinned, shrugging. "Actually, it _is_ that we don't trust you. Maybe if you had listened in the first place when the doctors told you not to walk around, you wouldn't be strapped to the bed, would you?"

Chaya let out a frustrated growl. "This is an impediment of my rights! You're holding me against my will for no reason!"

"Come on, you know for a fact that…uh…" he noticed that her glare seemed to be slowly growing with intensity. "Right. Look, I'll undo them so you can eat, but…don't leave the room, okay? I'll be back in five minutes."

She watched him move forward, quickly undo that constraints that were holding her back and leave, but not before giving her an intense glance that obviously meant her to stay put.

'Che, like I have anywhere to go anyway,' she thought glumly. 'Once the hospital staff catch sight of me they wheel me back to this stupid prison…'

She watched him disappear and crossed her arms in annoyance, staring up at the only other piece of non-medical furniture that was in the room. The clock over the door ticked innocently, telling her she still had another eleven hours in this godforsaken place.

"Still sulking, I see?" She glanced up to see Max walk in, a Santa Claus hat on his head and a bag of stuff in his arms. His cheeks were flushed with cold, but his eyes were glittering at her cheerfully. "Guess that means you're getting coal in your stocking this year, instead of presents."

She stuck her tongue out at him, though it was somewhat more half-hearted since she'd seen the bag.

"How are you feeling?"

"I've been feeling like a million bucks since I woke up yesterday," Chaya snapped. "But now I feel like a hundred bucks that got stashed in the pocket of a pair of jeans and put on spin cycle in the dryer."

Max laughed, putting the bag down. "You're one stubborn piece of work, you know that?"

"Yeah, you just told me," Chaya sighed, lying back on her bed.

"Well, if it makes a difference all the guys told me to say hi to you," her brother attempted.

Chaya grumbled. "I'm touched, but no, it doesn't help – where are Dad and Judy?"

Her brother frowned, and then took a seat on the corner of the bed, looking over his twin with a preoccupied look on his face. "Mom got caught up on the phone this morning when Becky called – something about a wedding – " He tried to get a reaction from Chaya, but she ignored him and reached for her breakfast, " – and dad had to drive off somewhere really quick this morning."

"Nice to know I have caring parents," Chaya muttered to herself.

"Can you never once not have the last word?"

"No."

Max groaned, then looked about the room, mumbling something about 'spoiled brats' and then brightening up, looking over at his sister. "Well, it could use a paint job – but I think this room is actually bigger than ours."

"Effy woo mish biher en os," Chaya mumbled through a huge mouthful of pancakes that tasted like Styrofoam and sugar mixed together. She swallowed, making a face and continued, "We live on top of a freaking hobby-shop for goddess sake…"

"Oh come on," Max said, reaching over and tweaking a cube of jello for himself. "You have to see some good things about this place…"

"Bull – and stop stealing my food! I'm an invalid!"

"Uh huh, that's why you can still swear like a trucker," Max teased. "Some invalid."

"Shut up!"

Chaya was silent as she chewed, then grinned. "Well," she swallowed. "The nurse factor's a bonus. I was expecting Major General Pain-In-The-Ass as a nurse, but I got lucked out with some eye-candy."

"Yeah, I've got to agree with you there. Ashton's hot," Max agreed absently.

Chaya grinned at the plastic, canned apple juice at this comment. As she took a sip, though, her mind went over what her brother had just said, and all of a sudden her throat just didn't seem to work. Spewing out the juice from her mouth and gasping for breath, she whirled around to stare at her brother in complete shock.

Max, who had swore and moved away from the spray of juice looked at her as though she was insane. "What the heck – ?"

"What did you say?" she demanded.

Max blinked in total confusion, before he suddenly seemed to realized what he'd said and flushed red, his eyes widening in worry as he tried to cover up his mistake. "I-I…what I meant was---"

"You just said that…"

"Chaya, it was a slip of the tongue!"

"If it was a slip of the tongue you would have laughed about it after and made a joke about it!"

"Uhm…ha ha ha – what a good joke, huh - ?"

"No dice!" Chaya accused, jabbing her index finger at Max. "You think he's hot…you think guys are hot…my brother's queer…"

"Chaya, listen to me---"

"Maximilian Benjamin Mizuhara," Chaya said, her voice rising. "Why the hell didn't you tell me this before? You're not supposed to keep things like this from me! I am the first person that you tell these things to…wait, didn't Aurelia know about this! Did you tell her first? Well how else could she know? Damn it, Max, I had to find out from someone from another country that my brother's g---"

"Shh!" Max hissed, slapping his hand over his twin's mouth with such force that Chaya was sure she would have a hand-print on her face for at least another hour. "I didn't tell you because I knew this was how you'd react! Why can't you just be disgusted in my like everyone else? At least then you'd be quiet about it!"

Chaya glared.

"That's no excuse, buddy, I'm your sister. You're 'twin' sister. I shared the womb with you, we can tell each other anything. I do tell you everything! And you couldn't even let me in on this oh-so-little event in your life? Thanks, Max, I feel so trusted," she ranted, sitting back with her arms crossed. "Best Christmas present in the world…"

Max sighed, knowing his sister had a point, even if she was being a little snotty about it. Okay, a lot snotty, but that was just Chaya's way. He just hoped that one day she'd actually grow out of it.

"I'm sorry, Chaya," he murmured. "I know I should have told you first, but things…things were complicated. And Aurelia only found out because…actually, I have no clue how Aurelia found out, because I don't think I was too obvious about it…"

Chaya was silent, still glaring at him.

Max groaned.

"This is going to be one of those 'go-down-on-your-knees-and-beg-my-forgiveness' things, isn't it?"

"You bet your ass, pretty boy."

With a pointed look towards his sister, Max got down on his knees, arms out and an overly dramatic look of suffering on his face. Chaya had to hold back her laughter at how well he pulled it off.

"Oh, Ice-Princess, Brat Extraordinaire, Twin of my heart, wilt thou forgive thine unworthy brother of betraying thine honor?" he said, a phony British accent ringing through the white room as he gestured dramatically. "If thou dost not, I shall have no choice but to slay mineself…"

Chaya smirked, unable to keep back her laughter any longer. Max took this as an indication to stand up and look sheepishly at her. "I should have seen it. You're too good of an actor to not be gay," she shook her head.

Max glared at her for the stereotype, but when he saw her joking expression he relaxed for a little. Chaya leaned forward on the hospital bed, her breakfast completely forgotten and a conspiratorial look on her face. "So, that's who 'Lia was talking about at the airport, huh? Well, who's the lucky guy – " She paused. "It is a guy, right?"

Max rolled his eyes. "Yes, it's a guy."

"Well, who is he anyway and do I have to beat him up if he breaks your heart?"

Max snorted. "Yeah, that's why I won't be telling you anything else."

"Awe, come on, Maxie…"

"There are reasons, Chays, and no amount of glaring is going to get me to tell you until I want to," Max said, his tone steely and on the verge of snapping. "This is one of those things that takes time, okay?"

"Fine fine," Chaya sighed, grumbling. "Sheesh, the way you're acting like it's a bad thing you'd think you had a crush on your best friend or something…"

The expression on Max's face would have been highly amusing if the situation wasn't such a serious subject. He looked as though he had just been caught at the scene of a murder or something. The color drained out of his face and he suddenly looked sick and panicked.

Chaya's mouth dropped in. "Max…you're…not…serious…?"

Her brother cleared his throat, obviously trying to say something and for a moment Chaya felt so sorry for the fact that her brother didn't know how to lie or neglect to tell the truth. If he was having this much bad luck with her, what was going to happen when their parents decided they wanted to know something?

'I'm definitely going to need to help him out,' Chaya decided, reaching over and squeezing her brother's shoulder. "That's really, really cute Maxie – since when? I mean, I'm not personally that close to Tyson, but still…"

"Since school began I guess," Max's voice was sullen, almost defeated and Chaya felt horrible.

She decided not to beat around the bush. "And since when have you known that you like guys?"

"Since last year when we were at Miriam's birthday and we played truth or dare," her brother answered quietly, not meeting her eyes. Chaya didn't remove her hand from her brother's shoulder, trying to remember what had happened. He obviously sensed her confusion. "She dared me to kiss Alan, remember?"

"Oh yeah," Chaya recalled the experience immediately, because at the time Alan Mackenzie had been her other best friend along with Miriam Iwasaki – and Miriam had been angry at Alan and dared him to kiss Max in revenge for something he had dared her to do. "So…I take it you liked it more than you thought you would, huh?"

Max grumbled in reply. Chaya offered a small smile. "Max, it's really not something to be ashamed about. You know that I don't mind this – and I doubt any of our friends will care – and even with that, fuck them and forget me, this is about you. No one else – is that why you didn't tell me? You thought I might think bad of you?"

Her twin looked away. "You'd have told Miyami."

"I would not! She's my best friend, but that doesn't mean I'd tell her any of your secrets! You're my brother and I love you! Besides, you'd get back at me by telling people about that incident in Tokyo, which was so mortifying that you'd make me die of embarrassment…"

Max grinned now, looking greatly amused. "Now that was funny…"

"What was funny?" asked a voice in the doorway and Chaya jumped in surprise when she noticed the three faces in back of her brother.

Ray, Miyami and Tyson, all of them smiling evilly as though they had just uncovered some dark secret. All three were dressed in heavy winter clothes and wore blue scrubs on their feet to keep the floor clean. Their faces were rosy from the cold, and Tyson's teeth were actually chattering as he stood by. Miyami, who had been the one to speak, was already walking across the small span of floor towards her.

"Hey!" Chaya squealed, letting her friend hug her, but at the same time watching Max, who looked a little panicked. "How long have you guys been there?"

"Since about '…you're my brother and I love you. Besides you'd get back at me by telling people about that incident in Tokyo' - what incident?" Ray grinned, an evil look on his face as he set his eyes on Chaya. "Is there something you've been keeping from us, Chays?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Chaya snapped instantly, her face pink with embarrassment. If anyone, especially Ray, ever found out about that she would do something drastic…She turned back to Miyami. "What the hell are you doing here? It's Christmas! You should be celebrating with your family!"

"Once you've seen one turkey, you've seen 'em all," the silver haired girl shook her head. "Besides, it's not nearly as important as when my best friend has an asthma attack and misses Christmas." Her voice turned softer. "How are you feeling?"

"I didn't sleep last night, I have a needle stuck in my arm and my cast-iron stomach is rejecting the crap they call food - but other than that, I'm great," Chaya grinned.

"Well, welcome to the real world – it sucks. You're going to love it," the silver-haired girl sniggered.

"No I won't," Chaya mumbled.

"Oh, okay," Tyson nodded, making a face as though he was just understanding something. "Guess that means that you won't be needing these then…" He took out a small bag full of brightly wrapped gifts from within his puffy winter coat. "Okay, we'll just have to take them ba - "

"Drop 'em right there, Granger," Chaya threatened, pointing at him sinisterly. The blue-haired Asian boy laughed at her and came forward, depositing the gifts on the bed and at the same time punching Max on the shoulder in greeting. "Guys, this is really great, thanks so much!"

"Hey, we figured that if you couldn't have Christmas at home, Christmas would come to you," Ray said good-naturedly, his words meant to be friendly, however she noticed right away how soft he was speaking. And the way he was looking at her was not helping her heart – which had begun to beat faster. Masking this with a laugh, she turned away, hoping that no one noticed the color or her cheeks.

"Well?" Miyami demanded loudly in her ear, providing a much needed distraction. "You gonna open your presents, or are you too weak for that? I could always do it for you, I love present opening…"

Chaya hurriedly dove for her presents before her best friend could get her hands on them and promptly tore open one of the brightly colored packages. She didn't notice her father standing in the doorway until once she had examined the book that Miyami had gotten her for Christmas. When she waved at him, he merely smiled secretively and left the room.

It suddenly occurred to Chaya that she might possibly have inherited her sneakiness from her father…but she didn't dwell on that thought because Tyson was saying something about getting her an IOU for Christmas, which she just couldn't have…

* * *

---)Sorry, yet another short chapter. But they will get longer, Kuri promises. Must go now, love y'all lots, 

Kuriness(---


	29. Rugaconda

___**Drowning in the Clouds**_

_Author:_ KuriQuinn

_Title:_ Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom:_ Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all

_Fanfiction Disclaimer:_ Chaya is my own creation, as is Haley, Jennifer, Claire and anyone else that you don't recognize. Miyami Kinomiya belongs to Mags, my best friend. Aurelia Delk belongs to Band-Freak aka Lobo-Chan. And that is all for now...Flash Jameson belongs to Flash, Iris Messana belongs to Iz

_Rating:_ R for language, mature themes and possible violence in later chapters

_Pairing:_ Figure it out.

_Takes-Place:_ Alternate Universe

_Summary:_ Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

* * *

>0

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Rugaconda **

Chaya felt like she was lugging an enormous load on her back, even though all she was carrying was a thin plastic bag with a book inside it. Her situation wasn't helped by the fact that Miyami was jumping around enthusiastically, looking like one of those energetic poodles that was waiting for the dangled treat they knew their owner had. The sixth store of they day, which had really only been two hours long as of yet, loomed ahead and Miyami was already dragging her towards it.

"Okay, tell me again why we're shopping?" Chaya asked, her voice dead and bored. Shopping was in the list of things she liked to do the least. In fact, only sewing up a flesh wound was above it. "We just got over Christmas, which meant presents, New Years was two days ago – which meant sort of kind of presents – why are we buying more stuff?"

"Are you really complaining?" the silver haired girl ask with a raised eyebrow. "Besides, it was mostly an excuse to haul you away from your overprotective brother. He's been like your shadow ever since you got out of the hospital. I figured you needed a little alone time."

Miyami had a point, Chaya reflected. It was now just over a week since Chaya's asthma-scare – nearly every day her friends had stopped by her house and through all of them, Max had clung to Chaya as though she would break. She understood his worry, considering she hadn't had such a serious attack for months now – but things were getting a little ridiculous. She almost couldn't go to the bathroom with the guy tagging along with her.

A part of her wondered if he was really worried about her or about the fact that she might tell someone about his secret…which she found a little irksome, because she knew how to keep secrets. And well.

To her gratitude, Miyami had finally kidnapped her from her home and brought her out – of course the gratitude was short-lived when Chaya realized Miyami had set her sights on the mall and shopping. She had actually bolted and tried to run back to the metro, but Miyami had caught her and that was that.

"Uhm…thanks…I guess," Chaya managed, as they entered the shop. As Miyami looked around eagerly, Chaya glanced at the shelves of the store, wincing at how little there really was on the shelves. Although it was January and not the warmest of months, some of the clothing in this store looked as though it was for the beach. Chaya was sure that she could sew together the scraps of material from her hemmed jeans and have more material than some of these shirts were.

She picked up a black shirt with mesh netting that looked as though it had been sewn together by some poor, forced-labor induced child in a dusty country, wincing when she saw that the price was about forty dollars more than she actually had on her.

'This is why I hate shopping,' she thought to herself angrily. 'First of all there's nothing to buy for people with normal measurements and second of all it's so damn expensive you have to promise to give up your first born child…'

When she met up with Miyami again, who was scanning the short skirts and pseudo-skater shorts, she sighed, trying to take her mind of the bane of shopping. "So…what's new in the land of the Grangers?"

"Nothing much," Miyami replied, eyes roving over the material as though she knew exactly what it was that she was looking for. "My older siblings are as usual attempting to torture me. I think Alec is plotting to steal my secret stash of Mozart Kugel---you know the ones Aurelia sent over? Well Alec might actually like them more than I do."

Miyami shrugged.

"Is that even possible?" Chaya snorted, as she tossed a blouse out of her way. It was frilly pink and brown and horrendous…thankfully Miyami decided to leave the shop without trying anything on, something Chaya was extremely grateful for. She knew why Miyami liked to shop with her, despite her hatred for the activity. Chaya was always honest about her impressions of an outfit – and sometimes she could be more sarcastic than the fashion critics on the reality television shows. The whole process, however, actually required her to think about what her friend was wearing and help her choose – which was very boring work.

The food-court loomed ahead, and Miyami dug out her wallet. "So, what do you want? My treat today."

For a moment Chaya wasn't sure that she had heard properly, but after a moment, she grabbed hold of Miyami's shoulders and held her at arms length. Suspiciously, she asked, "Who are you and what have you done with Miyami? You always stinge on paying for stuff!" Her friend stuck out her tongue, and Chaya grinned. "I'll have a poutine."

"Hah hah," Miyami rolled her eyes, leading the blond towards the New York Fries. "I'm so glad that you think so highly of me, Lady Talk-A-Lot. What is so wrong about me wanting to buy my best friend lunch?"

"Only that you only ever buy me lunch when you want something…"

"Right. Name one time."

"The week school ended. You bought me a pizza and then asked me to write your notes for you in history because you had a headache and wanted to sleep through the period."

"Uhm…name another time…"

"The week before that, when you paid for the hamburgers. Then you asked me to cover for you while babysitting those demon cousins of yours---which I was never compensated for, may I remind you…"

"Okay, okay, I get your point…yeesh," Miyami grumbled, pausing for a moment to tell the guy in the deli what they would be buying and then going back to the conversation at hand. "Look, I just wanted to ask a favor of you. It's kind of important."

"Miyami---"

"It's not for me," the silver-eyed girl said hurriedly, watching as the greasy delicacy was made in front of their eyes. She frowned. "Hey wait a second, I though you couldn't stand greasy food."

"Poutine is the exception to the rule---and don't change the subject!"

"Yeah, yeah…but you're gonna have to sit down for this…"

Chaya didn't like the way her friend said that. Almost as though whatever she was going to say was something really important and crucial. Not just high school type stuff…they waited in silence for the food, which Miyami paid for and strode towards the tables that lined the middle of the large hall. Chaya tried to keep her eye out for a table that was actually clean, but she wasn't having much luck. After five minutes of searching, the girls settled on one that had a minor coffee stain on it.

As soon as she settled down, taking off her jacket and putting down the bag with her book, Chaya grabbed a French fry from the mess of gravy and cheese before and fixed her best friend with a searching look. "Alright, I'm sitting. Spill."

Miyami opened her mouth, closed it, and then frowned, before repeating the process again.

"Miyami!"

"Okay, okay!" she said hurriedly, putting her hands up as though she expected the blond to attack her or something. "Chaya…we can tell each other anything right?"

"Right…" Chaya's eyebrows were raised as she waited for her friend to continue on and stop beating around the bush. It wasn't like Miyami to act this way…

"Like, stuff that will not be repeated to anyone else under pain of death?"

"Uh huh…"

"Well…the thing is…" Miyami now looked around, as though she expected someone they knew to show up and eavesdrop on their conversation. "You see…"

"Spit it out Miyami!" The two hours of shopping hadn't made Chaya any more tolerable or patient than she usually was, and Miyami's hesitancy wasn't called for.

"Tysonhasacrushonmax!" Miyami blurted out, then clamped her hand over her mouth. "Damn it, I didn't want to say it like that."

Chaya blinked, trying to discern what her friend had just say. She had made out something about Tyson, Max and a cushion, but for some reason she didn't think that was what Miyami had been attempting to say. "Could you say that slower now?"

Miyami groaned, rolling her eyes heavenwards. "Okay, how do I say this…you know Tyson's bi, right?"

"Uhm, no, I didn't know that…" Chaya's eyes widened and she stared at Miyami, suddenly thinking that this was good news for Max. She would have to tell him later – but wait, then he might think she had said something to Miyami! Damn it!

"Well you do now," the Asian girl said decidedly. "Well, I found out – by accident, because Ty-kun wouldn't have told me anything like this face-to-face – that he really likes your brother – like, really-really likes." She looked as though she was trying to gauge Chaya's reaction. "He kind of wants to go out with him but he doesn't know first of all if Max is…you know, into guys…or if he likes him _that way."_

Chaya blinked.

"And he didn't want me to say anything to you, but I figured that you might as well know in case the little weirdo starts acting stupid around Max and I was kind of hoping that maybe you could help – " Miyami cleared her throat. "Like if he _is_ you could help me set them up and if he's _not_ then you could help me break it to Tyson gently."

Chaya stared, open-mouthed, wondering if she should laugh or whoop with joy. The fact that her friend was telling her this so soon after what Max had confided in her…she almost began to considered believing in karma, destiny and all of the other cosmic stuff like that. Tyson liked Max…and Max liked Tyson. How was this not perfect? This couldn't be just a coincidence…two things that Chaya had never believed in were coincidence and leprechauns.

She opened her mouth to tell Miyami the good news, when she remembered in the nick of time that she really had promised Max that she wouldn't say anything. And she couldn't break his trust, even if it would work out for him in the end. She closed her mouth again.

This was going to take some thought, she pondered for a moment, frowning. She could see Miyami shift in her seat, obviously taking this gesture as her trying to let her down gently.

"Well…" she said, clearing her throat and pretending to look overwhelmed. "''Yami that is the last thing that I thought would come out of your mouth."

Miyami rolled her eyes, her voice testy. "So? Can you help?"

"Help what? Help Tyson get a date with my brother whom he doesn't even know if he likes in return? Or like that?" Chaya questioned, eating a fry and trying to remain professional and cunning. "Or help Max suddenly absolve women forever and run crying into Tyson's arms."

"Chaya," Miyami groaned. "The first one. Do you think you can wheedle it out of Max what he thinks?"

"I could try," the blond mused. "But you never know with Max. I don't want him to freak out and then start treating Tyson like a disease whenever he comes near him. Because then I'd have to smack him for being a jerk and…well he's my twin, that can't be good for the psyche."

"That would be the part where I kill you and your brother," Miyami snorted casually, as though she was remarking on the weather. Chaya sent her shrewd look. "So. Does that mean you'll try?"

"Sure, I'll do what I can, but be prepared for whatever happens," Chaya almost laughed at how down and out Miyami looked. She really wanted to tell her friend that there was no problem, but that would mean betraying her twin's trust which she wasn't willing to do.

"But you can't say anything about it to Max," Miyami admonished, almost like an after thought. "Promise me."

Chaya tensed, and sighed. "Fine. Promise."

Miyami grinned, flashing her a thumbs-up sign and Chaya rolled her eyes heavenward. Great. Now she had two promises to keep and both of them had to do with the other. It was like one of those horrible prime-time sitcoms…and she still had to play matchmaker between her brother and his estranged crush without either of them knowing it.

Great.

(-)

"So what are we doing here?" Chaya asked as Miyami and she strode into the Radio Shack at the end of the mall. The trek hadn't really helped her conflicted and slightly annoyed mood, but she decided to put up with it and keep a god face in case Miyami started asking questions.

"Keith wanted me to check out the prices for sound systems," came the reply. "He such a lazy ass. Like I don't have enough to do, now I have to do his chores as well?"

"Dude, you never have anything to do. Maybe that's why he asked you to do it for him," Chaya smirked.

"Yeah, so that he could stay in bed a little longer, right?"

"Brothers…they never change."

"Mm."

The two looked around at the merchandise, scanning the prices of the stereo systems in the store, before going of to look at the palm pilots and CD players. They joked around, pretending to be characters on one of those sci-fi shows, trying to shoot lasers out of the hi-tech looking calculators.

"Oh yeah," Chaya said suddenly ,putting down the calculator and grinning at Miyami. "My birthday's coming up."

"Cool…that means us guests get cake, right? I've never been to a twin birthday party…"

"Actually…heh heh…that's what's so great about it all. Max and I are born on different days."

"Huh?"

"Yeah," the blond nodded. "Max was born at eleven-fifty-eight on the nineteenth of January and I was born three minutes later. So we each have our own day---and we're a different star sign---anyway, we have this tradition that every year on our birthdays we choose one friend and one activity and do the time, right? Well, I wanted to know if you want to go with me to the AFI concert on the twentiet---"

"Hells ya!" the silver-eyed girl whooped. "I'm so there! Definitely!"

"Really?"

"Yeah!...Um…we will be getting cake, right?"

"No shit Sherlock…"

"Keep digging Watson."

"It's your shovel."

"I bought it from you."

"It was up your ass first."

"You put it there!"

"I had very good reason."

"Yeah, you were mad because I was making sense and you weren't!

"Fat chance, dog breath…"

"I DO NOT HAVE DOG BREATH!"

And thus they dissolved into another mindless calculator fight…

It wasn't until two minutes later that Chaya noticed out of the corner of her eye a middle-aged man in a tan shirt and black jeans that was eyeing them. Whenever they moved off, he moved with them, always looking away moments after they noticed him.

"Yami, you do know that there's some dude following us, right?" she muttered to Miyami as they turned their backs to him again. "He's just staring at us."

"So?"

Chaya rolled her eyes. "Do something, it's creeping me out."

Miyami snorted and said something Chaya didn't catch – not that it mattered, because seconds later she felt the blood rush to her face in surprise as Miyami suddenly reached out and pinched her in a rather personal place on her chest. Recovering and glaring, she hissed, "What the hell was that?"

"Uh…me giving him something to actually stare at?"

"Not funny! If he's a pervert he might get off on stuff like that!"

Miyami looked over at the guy that was watching them. Yet again he hid his face when he noticed them watching him. "You know, if I didn't know better, I'd say that's a plainclothes security guy. I believe he thinks we're trying to steal something?"

"Whatever would give him that opinion?" Chaya asked, looking at Miyami in confusion. They didn't look like felons, did they? They were both wearing jeans, boots and their usual witty shirts – not to mention winter jackets. What looked threatening about them?

"I have no clue," Miyami replied, although grinned. "Maybe it just has something to do with the fact that we're two teenagers looking at stuff we can't possibly afford."

"Oh, like a stereotype thing?" Chaya played along, also grinning.

"Undoubtedly."

"Hm…"

"Perhaps we should take this matter to the manager?"

"Oh yes, let's," the blond smirked, hooking arms with her friend. They wasted no time in marching over to the front counter, where a man in a smart looking coat and shiny shoes was surveying what one of the employees was doing. Chaya felt sorry for the sales girl who was trying to figure out the computer with her boss breathing down her shoulder. Especially when she saw what a hard looking man the guy was.

Chaya coughed, getting ready to do her best performance yet. Playing innocent when just looking at this guy was making her angry and worked up was going to be a challenge.

"Excuse me," she said, pitching her voice slightly higher and younger sounding, going for the innocent effect. "Are you the manager?"

"Yes I am," he said, drawing himself up and taking in both girls appearances. Obviously he didn't like what he was seeing, because his nose was wrinkling.

"Well you see, uhm…" Chaya squinted at his name card that had been pinned to his coat, "…Marvin…yeah, you see, there's this man that's been following us around for a really long time. It's getting a little disturbing now…"

Miyami nodded, and then gestured with her head towards the guy that had been following them. The manager's gaze followed in direction, and Chaya watched in amusement as embarrassment flitted over his face for a moment.

"I wouldn't like to think that some pedophile would be allowed in such an upstanding store as yours," Chaya went on, her innocent tone laced with meaning. The manager coughed. "After all, imagine the emotional damage he might cause someone…it's really very creepy…"

'Marvin' coughed with embarrassment, realizing that the two of them knew perfectly well that the guy following them was one of his own security men. And if either of them had parents with friends in high places, he could be accused of enabling suspicion upon their daughters and then the store would definitely falter.

"Ahem," he coughed again. "Yes, I'll see to it right away that that individual is escorted off of the premises…but while you're here, let me interest you in a small radio to make up for this, er, embarrassing transaction."

Miyami and Chaya grinned at each other as he sent an annoyed look at the security guard and then lead them towards the radio aisle.

(-)

"I swear, that's the funniest thing that's ever happened to me," Chaya laughed out loud as they left the Radio-Shack ©, the small clock radio in Miyami's bag. "Yeesh, I don't think that would work anywhere else but here."

"Ah, but that's why Bethany is such a great place," Miyami smirked. "Now the question is, what shall we do with this small spoil of war?"

"We could give it Tyson…then he'd stop being late for every single class…"

"Class…babes, that's a good idea," Miyami said suddenly, looking over at her friend excitedly. "We could put it in the class. That way we can have tunes at lunch time and hide it in our desks all the other times and Clarkson can't yell at us for bringing technology into school with us. And it's not pranking, so you can't get in trouble either."

Chaya struck a musing position, and then nodded. "Sounds about good."

"Thank you."

Chaya glanced at her watch, noticing the time.

"Okay. We have another hour here before Max figures out that I'm gone and high-tails it down here to bring me home. What we do?"

Miyami shrugged, looking around until she caught sight of a tattoo and piercing parlour.

"Well, I've always wanted…"

"Yeah, and I was thinking of…"

They both shared identical grins and scurried over to the place, their hands digging into their wallets.

* * *

>0 

Well, it's a good thing Chaya has needle issues so she won't do anything _too drastic…_as for Miyami… le guh…

R&R,

Kuriness


	30. Starfighter

___**Drowning in the Clouds**_

_Author:_ KuriQuinn

_Title:_ Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom:_ Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all

_Fanfiction Disclaimer:_ Chaya is my own creation, as is Haley, Jennifer, Claire and anyone else that you don't recognize. Miyami Kinomiya belongs to Mags, my best friend. Aurelia Delk belongs to Band-Freak aka Lobo-Chan. And that is all for now...Flash Jameson belongs to Flash, Iris Messana belongs to Iz

_Rating:_ R for language, mature themes and mature humour

_Pairing:_ Figure it out.

_Takes-Place:_ Alternate Universe

_Summary:_ Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

* * *

>0

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Starfighter **

"Ladies and gents of the ninth grade welcome back to Jefferson," Riley said in a cheerfully malicious voice as he strode into the loud and active homeroom class the first day of classes in January. His statement was met by tumultuous groans and booing from the students, although all of them were grinning back at their teacher knowing full-well that they had all missed at least one aspect of the school during the holidays. "This is the last half of the school year. You're almost there, people, so hang in. My advice is to start off this year good, or else…I get stuck with you all for another year. None of us want that."

"Real funny, Riley-dude," Miyami called up from her place in the back of the class. "You know you love us."

"To a certain extent, Miss Granger," the young man's eye twinkled humorously. "But after correcting your history exam there's a lot less love to be shared."

The silver-eyed teenager laughed lightly, almost nervously and Chaya sent her an amused look. Both of them knew that Miyami wasn't the best when it came to history.

"Also, I'd like to take this moment to announce that we'll be having a new student in our class," Riley continued loudly. This statement prompted the rest of the class to actually quiet down for a moment, which Chaya thought amusing. "She's getting the old 'talking to' right now from the Big Cheese, but will be here shortly."

"Another new one?" Miyami commented, and Chaya smirked, rubbing the skin around her new nose ring absently. "You think she'll survive this class?"

"Well, she comes from a tough family, so I'd say so,6" Riley replied, looking absently down at something in his files book. "Actually, I think some of you guys might know her older brother…Mikhail Hiwitari?"

And all of a sudden the class seemed unnaturally silent. Chaya, who had paused as though trying to figure out where she knew that name from, froze when she noticed that the majority of the class had their eyes trained on her, obviously waiting for something. Her mind was slow, and it took her a second to actually realize what her teacher was saying. When she did, she vaulted up into a standing position and glared over at the teacher.

"Please say you're joking," she said, her voice low and cold, but serious. It was unlike her to be serious and it was perhaps for this reason that the entire class seemed to be inching away from her.

Riley sent her a sympathetic, yet cunning look. "Sorry kiddo, it's the truth."

"Mr. Riley, you can't let _that_ in here!" Chaya cried, straightening up even more as the anger grew. "That family is an insult to people everywhere! I can't be responsible for my actions if she comes into this class."

"You shouldn't judge people on their families," the teacher replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Do you know her? Have you met her before?" Chaya demanded.

"Well…no."

"Then how do you know that she's not a jerk like her brother! Or that she hasn't murdered someone and gotten off with it? Or that she's not a drug dealer or that – "

"That is the exact reason why I've decided that you will be her student guide."

Another stunned silence. Before,

"WHAT!"

The class watched the interchange between student and teacher with great interest. Chaya's rage against Riley's calm was a spectacle in its self.

"You can show her around, teach her the ropes…and find out if she isn't exactly like her brother."

Chaya did an amazing impression of a fish for a few seconds, before sputtering and marching up to the teacher's desk. "Are you trying to tick me off? Because you're doing a pretty damn good job of it!"

"Chaya, I know I'm wicked cool, but I'm still a teacher," Riley said in a politely pointed tone. "I'd ask that you respect me like one as well---or at least, as an adult that you hardly know therefore you respect."

She had a few choice replies to that comment, but knew that they would have her sitting in detention for the rest of the first week even though Riley was the best teacher. He was the only one that hadn't given her a detention as of yet and she didn't have a wish for him to suddenly start.

"Yeah, whatever," she grumbled, marching back to her seat and slumping into it in an almost defeated way.

There was another long silence, and the other students exchanged looks. That had gone surprisingly safely, considering Chaya's usually anger rants. It could be that she had given in…or that she would be plotting the demise of the unfortunate Hiwatari girl…

The knock at the door startled everyone, who glanced towards the object, then back at Chaya's slumping form, and then finally back to the door.

"That's her," Riley nodded. "Now everyone…be nice." His words were directed especially towards Chaya, who merely grunted in response. As he went to the door, whispers around the classroom broke out like wild-fire. Chaya didn't look at anyone, sure she was going to erupt in frustrated screams. She only glanced out of the corner of her eye as Riley opened the door.

There was absolutely no noise, save for the two steps that echoed throughout the room from the girl walking into the class. Even Chaya found herself (grudgingly) pulling her head towards the sight and becoming so shocked that she continued to stare.

The new girl was…wow. There was no other way to describe it.

Although it was so apparent that she was Kai Hiwatari's sister, the images Chaya had had of her even though she had never seen the girl could never had measured up to this person that was standing before her. For some reason she had envisioned a spoiled, preppy daddy's girl that be in the doorway.

The Hiwatari girl was anything but that.

Her skin was pale and her eyes were blood red, either because of contacts or the light playing in the eyes that were so similar to her brother's. They had the same face-shape, mouth and build, although everything about her was smaller, better defined and feminine. She was completely void of any color, save for the hints of purple that streaked through her hip-length black and slate colored hair. She wore black lipstick to match the black leggings and long black blouse that fell just above her knees and opened near her throat to show off the red, teat-drop shaped gem. Steal-toed boots that even Chaya envied completed the ensemble.

"Guys, this is Taryn Hiwitari," Riley introduced, taking in the girl before him almost as intently as his students were. "Why don't you tell us a little about yourself, Taryn?"

She looked at him as though he were insane and then turned to the class, sizing them up. When she opened her mouth to speak, Chaya was surprised by the heavy Russian accent that marred her speech. She pronounced her w's like v's and rolled her r's noticeably. "My name is Talya Hiwatari but everyone just calls me Taryn. I was expelled from a private girls school in Russia. My parents are dead. Since coming here I live with my grandfather and brother. I'm a pyromaniac and a chronic arachibutyrophobic. I like pointy objects, especially when they're pointed at someone else. Where's my seat."

She said all of this in a low monotone, all the while staring at Riley as though she was only telling this to him because he had told her to.

Speechless for the first time anyone could remember, he pointed to the desk near Chaya. The girl walked forward without looking at anyone, dumped her over-stuffed, scuffed schoolbag on the ground, sat down and promptly let her forehead press against the table depressively. The class stared at her curiously. There were whispers starting again, mostly from Claire's group of friends. They whispered and pointed at her, while Chaya merely studied her, torn between the expected feelings of dislike and annoyance and itching curiosity and interest.

Taryn wasn't like her brother.

No. She was even more insane.

(-)

The bell rang and everyone quickly stood to leave the classroom. Unlike at the beginning of the school year when Chaya had joined the class or when Aurelia had showed up, there was no group hurrying about Taryn curiously, wondering about her and asking stupid questions like how to say something in Russian. In fact, they way Chaya was seeing it, some people were actually fleeing the room, sending her looks of sympathy for having to deal with the scary looking new-comer.

Even her own friends ran off without her, sending her jokes of 'good luck' and 'we'll pray for you'.

The room was empty before Chaya had even stood up to reach the girl. For a moment, she merely stood by, balancing on the balls of her feet trying to figure out what to say. The girl, Taryn, hadn't moved as of yet, but her eyes had snapped open and she was surveying Chaya with her left eye – glaring, actually. The look was so remnant of her brother that Chaya's temper returned.

"You know, I wasn't aware the Bethany High accepted brazen, psychotic, delusional foreign delinquents."

"Well in my case they made an exception."

"And obviously no background check." The staring left eye glinted with something. "Look, Goth girl, we've got class and I think there's another one coming in here."

"No shit," was the monotone reply and the girl was standing up. Chaya rolled her eyes.

"Right, attitude problem. Got it," she nodded. "Look, I'm---"

"I know who you are," was the curt cut off, and Chaya bristled before the girl continued, sending her an appraising look. "Chaya Mizuhara---also known a Booster-Bitch-With-Attitude-Problems-That-Needs-To-Be-Taken-Down-A-Peg-Or-Two-Arm-The-Cannons-With-Fishguts-Right-Away-Mizuhara."

Chaya stared.

"Kai talks about you a lot," she snorted at the look on the blonde's face. "You'd think you two were going out the way he talks about you, but the way you give him a run for his money puts an end to that thought."

Chaya continued to stare. And then she glared. "How dare you even entertain the thought in your head that I would ever even look at that bastard in any other way than contempt!"

Taryn rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, that's what he said too," she said. "So. Are we going now? You said something about class?"

"We have English now," Chaya said in a pouting voice, not sure what to make of the other girl. She couldn't really tell if she disliked her or if she found her interesting. "Come on…"

The two girls left the classroom, attracting stares as they walked down the corridors the minute they step foot from the classroom. Chaya noticed this, and then figured it was only a nature response. Considering what Taryn was wearing, and the way Chaya was dressed? Her hair was loose today and she wore a bright orange tie-dye shirt over a gray kilt, barber-pole socks and her scuffed boots. The two of them made quite a lopsided pair.

"So what exactly did you get expelled for?" Chaya asked bluntly, not beating around the bush as she tried to make some form of conversation. She had decided that if she was assigned to show Taryn around, she might as well do it and get if over with. Besides, she was slightly interested in the newest expulsee even if her brother was the fifth horseman of the apocalypse – scratch that, Hiwatari wasn't that cool.

"I crashed a preserved SU-76 tank into the east wing of my school," the girl replied, almost bored. Chaya gawked at the girl, waiting for her to say 'kidding'. When she didn't and just kept walking, Chaya stopped her, leaving them both standing in middle of the corridor.

"You did what?"

"I get that a lot," Taryn nodded, her eyes taking in Chaya's reaction almost in amusement. "I'm used to it."

"Shit, and I thought I was bad," Chaya snorted, shaking her head in awe at the newcomer. "I burned down my old school with a hair dryer."

Now it was Taryn that raised an eyebrow and Chaya noticed the tugging at the corner of her lips. After a moment where she finished sizing Chaya up, she shook her head and smirked. "Well, he didn't tell me that."

Chaya hadn't expected that response, and merely grinned when she realized that Taryn was talking about her brother. "That ignorant ass? Of course he didn't---not even my best friends know how I was expelled---actually, that's not true, Miyami knows---but that's beside the point!"

Taryn made a noise between a laugh and a snort. "Was it intentional?"

"Huh?"

"Burning down the school…was it intentional?" Taryn was scrutinizing her and Chaya frowned, not liking the way that it almost seemed to be a test. Damned if she needed to prove herself to anyone…

"No, it was an accident. But I still got blamed and expelled for it," Chaya jutted her chin out as though daring the new girl to say something. The girl chuckled lowly, looking at her feet, and then grinned.

"Same. A friend and me to just sneak into the tank…and then the idiot started pushing all kinds of buttons and before I knew it we were barreling down the street. And into the school wall." Taryn all of a sudden smiled, the simple gesture having an amazing effect on her face. Chaya was taken aback by how good-looking the girl was when she was smiling, despite all the black make-up she had gunked onto her face. It was once again overly obvious that she was related to Kai Hiwatari.

"Well look who it is…" Speak of the devil. Chaya glanced up, only just acknowledging the approaching junior. "As if you weren't pathetic enough now you're hanging out with the circus reject."

"Screw off, Hiwatari," Chaya ordered, the words coming from her mouth immediately, more out of habit than anything else. Hiwatari pretended to be offended, sending amused glances at his friends as they stood behind him. Ivanov pranced out from behind him, looking Chaya over wolfishly and grinning.

"I'm always amazed at what comes out of that pretty little mouth of yours…"

"Bite me, Ivanov!"

"Maybe I will…"

"Mizuhara, for once, I wasn't talking to you," her nemesis said, looking past her after a moment and nodding at Taryn. He looked as though he was studying his sister for fault and finding plenty. "Well, not that I'm surprised. You're screwed up enough to merit hanging around with a loser like her."

"Oh, please excuse me for looking for friends and not for asskissers," Taryn deadpanned, putting a finger to her chin as though considering something of utmost importance. "Speaking of, they're not doing a very good job – you should dock their pay."

There was a chorus of outraged gasps from the other students that had lined the halls and were watching the interchange with great interest. Chaya herself was slightly taken aback by the attitude between the siblings. So, Taryn didn't get along with Hiwatari? This was a new development. Hiwatari's expression remained the same, although the look in his eyes faltered for a minute. After a moment, he smirked lazily, as was his usual way of dealing with matters. Who said they're even getting paid? At least they like their jobs. You're so screwed up that you couldn't even pay someone to stand next to you – you attracted Mizuhara. Enough said."

"Back off, you bipolar lunatic," Chaya ordered, annoyance stabbing at her considering how the junior was talking about her. "Just because you're sexually deprived doesn't mean you should put it out on the rest of us."

"Feisty," he replied, now finally looking at her straight on. She colored when she realized he was actually looking her up and down as though considering her. "Care to cure my deprivation, blondie?"

Chaya was stunned, to say the least. Even though she knew it was Hiwatari just being a chauvinistic pig towards her, the words and intent were still a shock. She had never expected something like that to come from his mouth – Ivanov's maybe, but not his.

She would have decked him – really, she would have. She was all ready to pull back and pull another one of her surprise punched right into the older teenager's smug, conceited face and bringing him bleeding to the ground.

But Taryn beat her to it.

Hiwatari fell back against the lockers like a sack of bricks, the slam of his body against the metal reverberating through the hallways. He stared at his sister with wide, although unsurprised eyes, clutching his jaw for a moment. The crimson eyed girl towered about him, her entire countenance giving off an air of great anger. "You can insult me and I can't stop you from insulting my friends, but if you ever treat one of them like an object in front of me again, you won't live to see the next solstice, you prick."

There was silence to answer her words, and she looked up all of a sudden to see the group of unknown students that had gathered around them, or just those that were standing by to watch what was going on. "Does it look like there's a show here?"

Everyone scattered when the girl sent them an exact facsimile of what Chaya had long since termed the 'Hiwatari Glare of Death', and if she hadn't slowly and painstakingly become immune to it, she probably would have run away as well. Hiwatari stood up, sending an annoyed look at his sister and the blond beside her, before he motioned to his cronies and the skulked off.

Chaya felt a twinge of pride for the other girl, even though she was somehow sure that this was just another regular occurrence in the Hiwatari family.

"Holy Shitake-mushrooms," Chaya said, whistling lowly. "I hardly know you and you're standing up for me. How are you related to that turd?"

"Only through our parents," Taryn smirked grimly. "And don't sweat it. It's what we insults-to-people-everywhere do for friends."

Chaya turned pink.

"So…you heard that, huh?"

"Kind of hard not to. You're like a human megaphone."

"Oh shut up."

There was the clicking sound of shoes on the waxed floor, which was always a sure sign of trouble in Chaya's eyes. Deciding she really didn't want to run into Ms. Clarkson this early in the term, she motioned for Taryn to follow her down the opposite corridor – but suddenly found herself being pulled around and facing the flared-nostrils of her triumphant looking vice-principal.

"Chaya-Amelia, I had believed that we'd cured you of your behavior problems with that little intervention we staged, but obviously that is not the case. Perhaps I should –"

"Ms. Clarks – "

"She didn't – "

"Knocking a fellow student around?" the woman continued loudly, her eyes glinting black. "And it's the second time you have assaulted Mr. Hiwatari. I understand that you two don't see eye to eye, but that doesn't give you the right to – "

"Ms. Clarkson, I didn't –"

"It wasn't h – "

"None of your excuses, young lady, you're going to see Mr. Dickinson!" she physically took hold of Chaya and began to drag her towards the administration offices and Chaya felt herself going white. She was in huge trouble and this time it wasn't even her fault!

"But I---"

"Hey, Porkchop!" a loud voice called from behind them, making Clarkson pause in her intent to bring Chaya to see the head of the school. "She didn't do it, I did. And he deserved it!"

'Porkchop' slowly turned around, not loosening her grip on Chaya's arm as she took in Taryn and her appearance. Her face went from a triumphant purpling orange to the color of old oatmeal in the span of two-point-five-seconds. Chaya felt inwardly impressed at this feat.

"Miss Hiwitari." A resolute recognition of the girl.

Those were the only two words the woman spoke for a moment, looking as though she was trying to regain some composure she'd lost back in the Ice-Age. Chaya winced at the pressure being put on her arm by the very meaty fingers. Taryn noticed this and raised an eyebrow at Ms. Clarkson.

"You're touching a student without her permission," she remarked. "That could constitute as assault at any normal school. And you're using force in your hold on her. That could constitute in abuse and harassment, which is in direct violation of Code---"

"I get the picture already, Miss Hiwitari," Clarkson narrowed her eyes. "Just…see to it that it doesn't happen again. Keep your sibling spats at home please."

And she stormed off.

Chaya stared.

"I didn't know your name was Chaya-Amelia," Taryn reflected, amused, watching the angry Vice Principle disappear behind a corner and back under the rock she had crawled out from underneath.

"Well it is and the only one that's allo – hey, wait a second, what the hell was that?" Chaya fumed, narrowing her eyes at the other girl.

"Me standing up for you?"

"Screw that, how did you get away with just a warning!"

"I thought you knew the drill by now," Taryn looked confused. "I mean, with Kai neffer getting punished…Clarkson cozies up to people with money. And I can't do anything about it except milk it for all it's worth."

Chaya opened her mouth to say something to that, but stopped, remembering that that was how it had always been, ever since she and Hiwatari had begun to wage their little war against each other. Even when he was punished he was let of with more than she.

"Bastard…he picks a lot of those stupid fights because he knows he won't get punished…" she grumbled.

"Congratulations, you're not a complete idiot – although he really only does it because he can't stand you, it has nothing to do with the money issue."

"Oh," Chaya's voice sounded as though she had deflated or something. Then she perked up. "You know? I feel strangely relieved to hear that…makes me feel like I've done something in life that has nothing to do with holding power and money."

"That's why you've got me."

"Yep. You got the mula and looks, I've got the brains and the attitude. We shall forthwith be unstoppable!" The blond girl struck a pose, one hand pointed upwards in almost a revolutionary gesture.

Taryn raised an eyebrow. "Are you calling me stupid?"

"No…"

"Then were you implying I didn't have your brains?"

"No…"

"Than what the hell are you going on about?"

"Forget it…let's just go to class."

"No, I want to know."

She whined. "Ta_ryn_!"

* * *

>0 

An arachibutyriphobic is a person who fears peanut butter sticking to the roof of their mouth

Well, that's that. Sorry for the wait guys! Busybusybusy…

Kuri


	31. Mallroom Mugshot

___**Drowning in the Clouds**_

_Author:_ KuriQuinn

_Title:_ Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom:_ Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all

_Fanfiction Disclaimer:_ Chaya is my own creation, as is Haley, Jennifer, Claire and anyone else that you don't recognize. Miyami Kinomiya belongs to Mags, my best friend. Aurelia Delk belongs to Band-Freak aka Lobo-Chan. And that is all for now...Flash Jameson belongs to Flash, Iris Messana belongs to Iz

_Rating:_ R for language, mature themes and possible violence in later chapters

_Pairing:_ Figure it out.

_Takes-Place:_ Alternate Universe

_Summary:_ Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

* * *

>0 

**Chapter Thirty: Mailroom Mug-Shots**

The appearance of Kai Hiwatari's sister at school amazingly made life for Chaya much easier, something she wouldn't immediately have believed possible. Although the younger girl was seldom in the company of large groups, whenever Chaya and her friends were in the vicinity she would drift by them, almost as though they were her link to the social world. The only one of them that actually could speak to her without pretending to fear for their life was Miyami. And that was understandable, considering the two of them were technically cousins. When it wasn't Chaya's friends who she hung around with, there were a group of metal-heads that loitered out in the corner of the school yard that  
Taryn gravitated towards on occasion.

It seemed that Taryn's proclamation towards her brother had also had some kind of effect, because Chaya seldom needed to busy herself with his offish behavior.

As for her dilemma with Max and Tyson, things were moving at a snails pace. Although she encouraged them both (mock unaware of the situation, of course) to look into asking "whoever it was" that they liked out to a movie or something, both were stubborn and dense. Max never seemed to notice the difference between when Tyson was flirting with him or joking with him, and Tyson constantly missed the long suffering glances from her twin. Chaya was beginning to think that it was harder to set up two guys than anyone else – they were so dense!

Besides that, for the first time in months, everything was blissfully normal – or was normal as most people wished their lives were. She still had to continue with the trips to the guidance councilor twice a month, but it was becoming something she was used to and didn't question it. As long as it kept Clarkson off of her back…

Chaya didn't have to worry about detentions and trouble for pranks against Hiwatari, whom she barely saw anyhow, and she had more of a social life than she had ever had.

'Well,' she thought grimly as she moodily dug and picked at her pork-chops and mashed potatoes one evening for dinner, 'almost more social life. If it weren't for the extra-homework she always amassed from her math teacher…'

"So…what did you two do today?" their father asked, interrupting her thoughts. "You're both unusually quiet."

Chaya stabbed at her pork viciously, her eyes hard even as she caught her father's meaning. She glanced over to see what was wrong with Max. Usually he was chattier than she was at dinner time, but at the moment he was stirring his potatoes and meat into an interesting mush on his plate, sending her glances that she didn't know how to interpret.

"Well, see, my day was pretty good except for the brunt of it where my math teacher decided to give me extra homework because apparently I answered her with attitude," she groused. Her mother looked up from her dinner and sent her a slightly amused look.

"Well what you hear and what adults hear is different – you giving us attitude doesn't sound to you like attitude because you're ignorant," Judy told her reasonably, and Chaya rolled her eyes.

"Sarcasm is not attitude," she maintained stubbornly.

Her mother rolled her eyes, exhaling in exasperation. "No, with you it's a way of life."

Chaya refrained from saying anything to that, knowing she would get into another battle with her mother regarding the meanings of what attitude was and what sarcasm was. "Anyway – and then she gave me a detention for not doing the last question on last nights homework because I didn't understand it." She glared at her potatoes, which now resembled a thick paste. "Argh! She's such a snake-eyed, pig-headed, fascistic, grudge-holding bitc – "

"Chaya!" Judy reprimanded, sending her daughter a look that made her shut up instantly. She gritted her teeth, remembering that she wasn't supposed to be cursing around in front of her parents. That didn't stop her from starting off again, trying to defend herself. "But she is! She purposefully hates me and I have no clue why!"

"I'm sure it has absolutely nothing to do with your attitude towards her on the first day of school," Judy said sardonically and Chaya sent her an unimpressed look.

"Well it doesn't, because yesterday Claire Marchand dropped all of the handouts that Giles gave her and then mocked her behind her back – in the same class! And all she did was tell her off! She didn't send her to Clarkson, or give her detention or anything!"

"If that's the case, maybe we should go to see her –" Chaya's father began, but Chaya shook her head fervently.

"No way, she'd 'forget' to show up – and if she didn't, she'd pretend like everything was good and she was just looking out for my best interests," the girl grumbled bitterly. "Whenever I offer her to have a meeting with you guys, she says it's not your fault that I'm doing poorly in her class, but that it's mine."

"I'll just have to show up when she doesn't expect it," her father replied.

"And when is that?" Judy commented, putting down her fork. "You barely leave the shop to eat, you're so busy. I have more time on my hands than you do, so I can drop by the school in my own good time."

Chaya suppressed yet another groan of frustration at her parent's insistence to speak with her teacher. It was not so much the thought that they might choose sides with the annoying woman over her, as the way her math teacher might decide to pick on her even more if she found out she had complained to her parents. It was what had happened to her with her kindergarten teacher back when she was little – the only way she had been saved from that situation was that her dad's post had been moved and they'd needed to relocate to another city. Which Chaya didn't want to have to do again…

Hoping that her parents would just forget about this, she looked over at Max and pretended to be back in a cheerful mood. "So, Maxie, what about you? We've figured out my crisis, what's yours?"

"Uh…" Max began, his eyes shifting to their parents, then back to her. "Nothing much…" Chaya was instantly aware of the lie considering the tremor in his voice. "Tyson and I just talked a little about hanging around this weekend or something…"

Although her brother was hiding it, Chaya could detect the doubt and double meaning in his words and her fork clattered to her plate. Seconds later, she cleared her throat and hurriedly began to shovel the rest of her supper into her mouth, intent on escaping the dinner table and interrogating Max as soon as she could

"That's nice dear," their mother said absently, going back to her meal.

"Just make sure that your room is clean before you have company over," their father reminded him.

"Actually, I'm going off with Tyson, he's not coming here."

"Clean you're room anyways."

"Whatever, I'll clean it," Chaya said, trying to hide her impatience. "Daddy, may Max and I be excused?"

Their parents stared at their daughter, no doubt confused at her sudden inclination to clean up the room that had the disorder of a growing cyclone, and then glanced at Max's plate which showed signs of him playing with his food but not really eating. Their father had barely given a slight nod, before Chaya had jumped up and was hauling Max upstairs to their shared room.

She had barely closed the door tightly behind them when she was rounding on her stunned twin, her eyes wide with interest and the unnatural gleam that always suggested that she was plotting something. "Well? Give me all the details!"

"Chaya, chill out," her brother made a face at her. "It's not such a big deal – he just asked if we could hang out this weekend."

"Then what was with the shifty eyes?" Chaya demanded, putting her hands on her hips. Max sent her a disgusted look, as though he couldn't believe how thick she was being.

"Since when does Tyson have to ask to hang out with me?"

It clicked.

Chaya did something she had never done before.

She squealed.

Max gaped at her, completely awed by her sudden change in attitude, especially behavior. She could see by his face when she reached for him and squeezed him tightly to her that he was terrified.

"That's so great! I bet he did it so he could ask you out," she said, encouragingly. She felt stupid with joy. Tyson was finally going for it, the idiot! It had taken him long enough!

"I…don't think so," Max rejoined, suddenly looking less sure of himself than she had ever seen him. "I'm probably making a huge deal out of it just because I'm too hopeful – I'm overcomplicating it, I know it."

"Stop putting yourself down like that!" Chaya ordered immediately, pulling away and jabbing him in the chest. "That kind of attitude will screw things up for sure – my god, your both so pig-headed!"

"Hey, you don't have to resort to names," Max made a face at her. "Now I'm convinced that we're blowing it out of proportion and – wait a minute, did you say both of us?"

Chaya stopped moving, her look of disapproval at her brother's behavior frozen on her face. Crap. She had not meant to say something like that. 'No matter, I'll just…uh, cover it up…'

"Well, you are," she grumbled. "Tyson's always pigheaded because he's him and you're pig-headed because you're set in your way of thinking the worst. And you're supposed to be the optimist in the family."

Max crossed his arms over his chest, his blue eyes sending her a no-nonsense stare from beneath his wavy blond bangs. "That is so not what you meant and you know it."

"What are you talking about?"

"you know what I'm talking about. You said 'both' – have you been talking to Tyson?" his eyes widened and he suddenly looked panicked. "Did you say something to him! _Chaya_! You said you wouldn – "

"I didn't say anything to Tyson!" Chaya yelled, twin spots of red forming on her cheeks as the blood rushed to her face in her anger. How dare her brother accuse her of something she hadn't done! She was working her butt off to get these two guys – not guy and girl – but two guys together.

In their society, especially in the middle of the United States and so close to Texas it was unheard of – even in Oklahoma it was taboo. Most of the people in her own school were prejudiced against homosexuals to a degrading and frightening degree. Hadn't there recently been a ban on homosexual activity in one of the courts and something against same-sex couples adopting children?

Chaya bristled, her anger at the stupid rules in the government and state mingling with her annoyance with her brother. "If I had told Tyson anything, you'd have known by now," she finally managed, reminding herself not to put out her frustration on her twin. "I mean…he's got the loudest mouth in the school next to Johnny."

Her brother laughed ruefully, although now he seemed somewhat appeased. He sat down on the bed, somewhat scattered. After a moment he looked up hopefully, "So do you really think I'm not just making a big deal out of it?"

"For goddess sake, Max!"

(-)

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR MAXI! Happy birthday to you!" the group sang loudly in the corridor while Max attempted to hide himself in the nearest locker. Chaya laughed out loud when her brother's tall frame banged against the top of the thin lockers a few times.

Although it was Friday and only two days before Max's birthday, the gang at school was still wishing him a happy birthday just to make loud noise in the corridors. The group around his locker were the usual bunch, consisting of Tyson, Johnny, Ray, Flash, Iris, Miyami and Chaya. The only people missing were Haley and Jennifer, who Chaya had a feeling were currently in one of their infamous fights and avoiding anywhere that they might run into each other…

" – AND MANY MOOOOOOORE!" Miyami yelled loudly, although amazingly with her voice she managed to pull of a song-like trill. Perhaps that was why it had been a good thing that she had joined Johnny's band…

"Heh, you shouldn't shy away like that, Max," the redheaded junior was smirking. "Makes us think you don't want to be older…"

"Yeah, and isn't this the only time every year that you can actually say you're older than Chaya?" Ray teased, reaching over to playfully muss up Chaya's hair. She yelped and glared at him, the light rose blush tingeing her cheeks the way it always did when Ray did something like that. Honestly, in infuriated her that he could just flirt like that – and it worked! Usually flirting got the guy a good tongue-lashing…

"Maybe, but you guys still don't have to shout to the world that it's my birthday," Max said, looking embarrassed. "I mean, they don't need to know."

"Bah, you're too self-conscious," Chaya snorted. "There's no way you can be my brother…are you sure you weren't switched with someone else at birth?"

"Have you looked in the mirror lately?" Iris asked sardonically, and the group of teens laughed. After Max finally managed to pick up the rest of his books, the group gravitated off down the hallway, all intent on reaching their next classes. As they passed her, Chaya waved at Taryn, who nodded back at her. Behind her, her metal-head friends barely spared her a glance, although the tallest of the three with the mohawk and _Clash_ shirt flashed her a peace sign and a goofy-smile.

Although her friends avoided the gaze of the younger Hiwatari sibling, Miyami did acknowledge her with a slight wave. Chaya was once again aware of the fact that although known to be a friend of hers, Taryn was still seen as the 'the gothic loner chick' that you shouldn't go near in case you wanted to have a curse put on you or something.

Both of them thought this extremely amusing, considering first of all, Chaya was the Wiccan of the two and second of all, putting a curse on someone would invoke the ten-fold law which she really didn't need at the moment. Besides, it was so much energy to do something stupid like that…

"So what's up next?" Ray's voice pulled her from her thoughts, and she shrugged, checking the schedule in her agenda. The suave, debonair smile of Johnny Depp smirked up at her from the cover of the book and she grinned. It took so little to make her happy in the mornings…The happiness ebbed away moments later. "Ugh, I have math – with the Evil Asshole of All-time."

"Kai?"

"Him too," Chaya grumbled. "I was talking about Giles…"

"Ah."

"You?"

"French...hey, speaking of, I'm having trouble with that," the Chinese boy said quickly and earnestly. "Think you could tutor me or something, oh French Speaking One?"

"Hm…fine," the blond grinned, rising to the bait. If he wanted her help, who was she to refuse? Besides, studying in the library…all alone…there were plot-points to this... "But you really shouldn't be having a problem, Ray, you're smart. I've overheard Monsieur Langlois saying that you never pay attention though."

"I pay attention!" Ray said, feigning hurt, his amber eyes glinting indignantly. "…just not to him."

This caused Chaya to roll her eyes. The group split up at the corner of the hall and Chaya waved good-bye to them.

"See you losers later," she called, but then whirled around, a crazed look in her eyes. "Oh wait, I almost forgot!" Hurrying over to Max she grabbed his arm and began punching him hard fifteen and one times. "Birthday beats!"

"Chaya," her brother groaned, his entire body jolting with each hit. "You've given me about seventy five of these already! The point is you give as many as how old I am, not as many as I'll hopefully live to…"

"Hey, I'm just trying to be optimistic," she winked at Miyami before walking back towards her classroom and saluting to them. "See y'all later."

"Ditto that," her best friend shouted back, finally disappearing.

Just as she was coming up to the math classroom she saw Jennifer appear, toting a heavy-looking bag and an angry expression. When she spotted Chaya her eyes lit up and the blond girl found herself panicking. That look in Jennifer's eyes always meant that she wanted to rant about Haley…

'Must escape,' she thought hurriedly, waving quickly at Jennifer before popping quickly into the class, hoping that if she could reach her seat and look as though she were working on overdue homework, that she could avoid the dangerous, touchy subject.

She moved swiftly towards her desk, getting ready to sit down when she suddenly stopped in her wake, almost shuddering to a stop. Something was in this classroom that wasn't supposed to be.

Actually, someone.

Someone who shouldn't have even thought about being in this room. Someone who should technically exist outside the realm of this classroom…

"Mom!"

Judy Mizuhara looked up from where she was leaning against the teacher's desk, her arms crossed and the expression on her face the one she always wore when she was getting ready to do some serious business. She even looked as though she was going to the courts or something, in freshly pressed slacks and a black blouse. She was surrounded by a group of teenaged boys who were talking eagerly with her, but immediately cut off her conversations with them when Chaya's voice interrupted them.

"Mom, what are you doing here!" the blond teenager asked frantically, her voice a tight strain. She was barely aware of Jennifer hesitantly coming into the room behind her and taking her seat.

"Chaya, sweetie, hello," her mother said in a fixedly pleasant tone that Chaya immediately recognized as the 'you're in trouble' tone. "I'm here to talk to your teacher – I thought you might be skipping class again, as I've heard you do so often."

Chaya tensed and gaped at her mother. 'What the hell is she talking about? I've never skipped a class in my l – ' Her thoughts broke off at the exact moment as the expression appeared on her face. A dangerous glare that sought out a very specific someone…

"Where is he," she asked, her voice hard and low as she searched out for her chosen prey that afternoon. There was only one person who would actually dare to tell her mother something like that, and when she found him she was going to –

"Where's who, Mizuhara?" leered a voice from the crowd of teenaged guys surrounding her mother and that was when she noticed Kai languishing in the back of them all, a self-satisfied smirk on his face. She pushed through the crowd, pointing her finger at him with enough force to knock any normal person over.

"You, you son of a b – "

"Chaya-Amelia!"

" – brachiosaur," she finished lamely, her real word choking her from the inside. Not taking her eyes from Hiwatari or looking at her mother again, she shoved her math books onto the teachers' desk with a loud _thwack _and then glared at the rest of the guys around her mother. The majority scattered, and she went to stand straight in front of Kai, her size still much less than impressive than his was. "What have you been telling my mother?"

"Only the truth," he said innocently, his eyes gleaming with something she didn't like at all.

"You don't even know what that word means!" Chaya fumed.

"Baby, be nice," her mother commanded and Chaya writhed inside as everyone in the class began to snigger at her mother being around. There could not possibly be anything more humiliating than this! Where was Taryn with the 'Hiwatari Glare of Death' when you needed her?

"Mrs. Mizuhara, you really have a lot of class, you know?" Hiwatari commented, with smooth charm that made her mother smile. Silently, so that her mother couldn't hear him, he leaned a little closer to Chaya and whispered, his breath tickling her ear, "So what happened to yours?"

She was about to go for another surprise punch, when she noticed her mother laughing a little to a compliment she had gotten from Ivanov, amusement evident on her features as the some of the juniors attempted to flirt with her. Chaya would have thought this situation extremely funny if it hadn't been her own mother.

"Hey! Buzz off!" she ordered the guys. "This is my mother you're drooling over, you perverts!"

When they sent her doubtful and condescending looks, she narrowed her eyes and asked, "Do you guys want a repeat of last September?"

Panic immediately crept over the remainder of the juniors faces and they all hurried to their desks, save for Hiwatari who was the only one who knew how scripted the pranks that week had been. She turned scarlet as she recalled that the first few had been his for her because he had taken pity on her. She immediately regretted mentioning it. Especially, when her mother looked at her curiously and asked,

"What happened last September, honey?"

Thankfully, she was saved from answering by a voice that normally sent thrills of pain running through her brain. "What is going on in here? All of you, take your seats!"

The class was immediately dispersed, leaving only Chaya and her mother standing near the desk. Chaya breathed out a sigh of relief, and grinned at her math teacher, "Mrs. Giles, whoever thought I'd be relieved to hear you voice?"

Her math teacher didn't seem to have heard her. Instead, her gaze was fixed upon Chaya's mother – and it held the same look of loathing that Chaya experienced upon her every math class. Her mother, in turn, was looking towards Mrs. Giles in an appraising manner and Chaya recognized the glint in her mother's eyes. For one of the rare times in her life, she was able to peacefully and thankfully acknowledge that Judy Mizuhara was her mother.

And she was currently sending a glare Giles' way that held an evident threat: 'You're going down.'

"May I help you?" the math teacher's snake-like face morphed into a phony friendly smile that she wore whenever something remotely business like cropped up. Mrs. Mizuhara matched it with one of her own and thrust out her well-manicured hand. Chaya thought she saw recognition flicker in both women's eyes.

"Judy Mizuhara," she said, flashing a mouthful of pearly whites that reminded Chaya suddenly of a shark. "I'm Chaya's mother."

"I hadn't guessed," Giles said in a sugary voice. "Ann Giles."

"Well, Mrs. Giles, I just came here to discuss Chaya's work in class---"

"Well, you should have scheduled a meeting," the snake-like teacher replied easily.

"The thing about that is, you tend to 'forget' about our meetings," Mrs. Mizuhara drawled easily, keeping everything pleasant despite the implication in her voice. "I'm not fond of being forgotten. And I'd think a math teacher would have the best memory of the entire faculty."

Chaya felt a grin appearing on her face. Well, she had learned how to push other people's buttons by observing her mother…evidentially she could learn more…

Mrs. Mizuhara was regarding Mrs. Giles with the still frozen smile on her face and then let out a high, fake laugh that was tinged with sudden realization. "You don't remember me, do you, Annie? Judith Rosenberg, class of nineteen-eighty?"

"How could I forget?" Giles smiled sweetly, her eyes flashing. "You were the first homecoming queen to not show up on account of your being in labor."

Chaya noticed countless mouths in the room drop in shock and a group of the juniors that had been watching the interchange with interest. She felt like smacking all of them for some reason, but remained silent, knowing her mother wasn't going to give in that easily. Judy's mouth was tightened into a thinner line than usual, although the tip of it was pulling upwards.

"Well, when you're popular," she said, her voice a breathy, taunting whisper. "But you should know that, right, Annie the Fanny – or do you not go by that anymore? I recall you being _extremely_ popular with all the boys at school. There wasn't one game of Spin the Bottle you didn't take part in…" Mrs. Giles face turned purple, but she continued to look calmly at Chaya's mother as though all she was talking about was the weather. "You really do look wonderful…what is it your using, silicon?"

"Botox," the other woman said through gritted teeth. "You?"

Judy smirked even wider, her blue eyes filled with malice.

"Now why would any woman share her beauty tips with the high school whore?" she asked as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. The room erupted into hoots at this and Chaya had to hold back from punching the air in triumph. She shouldn't be allowing this to go on…this could ruin the rest of her year in math class…

But she, along with the rest of the class, was to raptly focused on this fight. No one could believe that they were watching their math teacher and another woman acting as though they were sixteen years old and insulting each other for all that it was worth.

"Anyhow, the trip down memory lane is over," Mrs. Mizuhara said, standing up straighter now and becoming the calm and collected adult that Chaya had always known. "I know now why my daughter's been doing poorly in this class. And I'm warning you, Annie darling, if you put out any more of your personal grievances on my child, I will be complaining to the school board and maybe even the courts. So don't go laying the blame on her that Takato didn't want to date your slutty ass---" she was nearly cut out by the cries of mirth from the class, "---either blame yourself for your sad life, or come looking for me, because I have enough guts to fight you any day."

She leered at the math teacher, turned and waved to Chaya, and strutted out of the room.

There was silence, and then before anyone could make a move, Mrs. Giles had grabbed the chalk-eraser and chucked it at Judy's back. It hit her square on the shoulder, before clattering to the ground leaving a dusty print on the back of Chaya's mother's black blouse. More silence ensued, before Judy turned around, eyes cold and looking exactly as Chaya's did when she was angry.

"I've waited twenty-three years for an excuse to do this," she sneered, and before anyone could stop either of them, she had lunged forward. Chaya shrieked in surprise as her math teacher nearly clipped her on her way towards her mother, and pushed herself backwards into the desk. The class began to chant the usual 'fight' chant as they watched in rapt shock as the two women attempted to beat the stuffing out of each other.

Open-mouthed, Chaya found that she was more confused than anything as she watched the two women go at it, ripping hair, scratching faces and trying to beach each other bloody in any way that they could.

"Aren't you going to try and stop them?" Jennifer whispered frantically from her desk nearby. Chaya couldn't' answer. "Chaya, that's your _mother_."

'Maybe they'll just destroy each other,' she thought peevishly, but immediately felt guilty. Her mother had come here on her behalf, it hadn't been her intention to humiliate her or to even start this fight…

Claire ran shrieking from the room, obviously intent on telling her master what was going on. Once Clarkson got there everyone would be in serious trouble…

"Unless you want more problems than you already have, maybe you should stop them," Hiwatari said coolly, standing up and approaching the front of the class with Chaya. He was the only one that seemed to want to help out – all of the other juniors, who had been so suavely flirting and pretending to be mature, were still watching and calling out cat-calls at the two warring women. "Come on, Mizuhara, she puts up with you – that should be enough to have you trying to help her out."

Annoyance at being reprimanded by Kai Hiwatari was suddenly and overwhelmingly destroyed by the reminder that Hiwatari didn't have a mother. She had long ago forgotten that he didn't have parents and taken advantage of that. Obviously seeing someone else's mother in trouble meant something to him, even if that person was his arch nemesis.

Cracking her knuckles together, she nodded. "You take Giles, I'll deal with my mom." He nodded, meeting her eyes for a moment in a way that was for once without blatant hatred, before they both slipped forward. "Okay, guys, break it up…"

(-)

"Never! In all my years, have I ever had two 'responsible' adults act this way towards one another!" Clarkson practically howled out loud, her beedy eyes bloodshot as she glared at Mrs. Mizuhara and Mrs. Giles. The two women sat on the ramrod straight sofa, looking very much like sulking teenagers, sending each other dark looks of lothing whenever the old vice-prinicpal wasn't watching. "I thought this stupid little rivalry ended when you two graduated, but obviously I was gravely mistaken…"

"You were here when _they_ were at school?" Chaya uttered in shock from her place in the corner where Ms. Clarkson had brought in two chairs for her and Hiwatari. Clarkson didn't seem to hear her, but a moment later there was a harsh whisper in her ear.

"Didn't you know? She's been around since the Revolution." She could head the smirk in Kai's voice, and against her will, a wan smile at the joke appeared on her face. It was nice to know someone agreed with her – of course then she suddenly reminded herself who was talking to her. Squaring her shoulders and looking defiantly away, she concentrated on the event at hand.

"…you are supposed to be setting an example! And that these two, of all people, should be the ones to end your little spat – "

"Hey, lady, don't pull us into this," Chaya protested.

"Yeah, this isn't out fight this time around," the older teenager agreed. "Can't we wait outside or something?"

"You two, stay quiet," Clarkson's nostrils flared as she spared them a fleeting glance of ire, before looking back at the two women. "Mrs. Mizuhara, I believe it's in your best interest if you returned home. We can discuss this another time and perhaps have Mr. Dickinson mediate – Mrs. Giles, please return to the teachers lounge until I summon you again, we have quite a few things to talk about. I would hate to think that we have a lawsuit on our hands."

The two women glared at each other once more, before slowly standing and doing as they had been told. Judy was so preoccupied with maintaining the look of hatred on her face that she didn't even spare her daughter a glance as she disappeared out the door.

As soon as the door closed behind the two, Clarkson sat down at her desk, rubbing her temples. For a moment, she seemed to forget that Chaya and Hiwatari were still in the office with her. Chaya yawned as she waited for her to say something, but it wasn't until Hiwatari actually cleared his throat rather loudly that she looked up again and recalled that they were there.

"You two," she began, as the continued to massage, now into her solidified hair. "What has today taught you?"

Utterly confused, the two teens exchanged glances. Looking back, they noticed that the woman was actually expecting them to answer. Chaya cleared her throat, and tried to make a joke. "Uhm…that math can be fun?"

"Teachers are screwed up?"

"New and exciting things about my mother?"

"That you're a raving lunatic?"

Clarkson was not impressed, although Chaya laughed out loud at that last one. "I meant about teamwork," the woman snapped, now looking even less impressed then before. "And responsibility. You two showed both of those qualities today by trying to stop the fight. Although a better idea would have been to do as Miss Marchand did and bring these matters to my attention – all the same. I'm glad that you two put aside your differences for once and worked together."

Chaya tensed, and behind her she could feel Hiwatari do the same. Clarkson had just pointed out something neither had wanted to admit and were hoping would go unnoticed.

"You've both seen what such grudges can bring about – and I really doubt that neither of you want to get into a fight in the middle of your possible children's classroom twenty years from now – "

" – Who said I'm having kids?" Chaya interjected, while Hiwatari rejoined, "I'd still beat her then too – "

" – so perhaps you might attempt to work things out between you. You would make a good team, amazingly enough." She let them digest this, though there was a disgusted silence following her statement. "That is all. You may leave now – and bring those chairs back out with you."

The teens did as they were told, although when they closed the door behind them they both dropped the chairs right in the front way, regarding each other defensively. Chaya could tell that her distrust of the Hiwatari boy was mirrored only by his own.

"She wasn't…she wasn't serious, you don't think?" Chaya said, her voice tense to hide her doubt. She saw Hiwatari's eyebrow bend, almost as though there was a muscle jumping in his face.

"Even if she was, I wouldn't touch you with a ten-foot pole," he replied easily.

She smirked. "So, we're in agreement then it seems."

"Frightening, isn't it?"

Chaya rolled her eyes. "Well, at least if that ever does happen I won't have to buy my way out of trouble like you – in my family, we fight our way out of things."

"Yeah, tell me how that goes, Mizuhara…call me from your jail cell." Kai began to walk away and the blond sneered at his back.

"Why waste my one phone call? You'll be in the cell next-door!"

* * *

>0 

Hope you guys enjoyed that chapter, it took me a while to get out but I'm getting over a very kickass vacation I just had with my bestest friend in the world. Talk to you/ write for you guys laterz,

Kuri


	32. Rubbernecker

**_Drowning in the Clouds_**

Author: KuriQuinn

Title: Drowning in the Clouds

Fandom: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all

Fanfiction Disclaimer: Chaya is my own creation, as is Haley, Jennifer, Claire and anyone else that you don't recognize. Miyami Kinomiya belongs to Mags, my best friend. Aurelia Delk belongs to Band-Freak aka Lobo-Chan. And that is all for now...Flash Jameson belongs to Flash, Iris Messana belongs to Iz

_Rating:_ R for language, mature themes and mature humour

Pairing: Figure it out.

Takes-Place: Alternate Universe

Summary: Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

* * *

>0 

**Chapter Thirty-One: Rubbernecker **

"I could not believe she did that," Chaya moaned, trying to bury her head in the mound of comforter on her bed. "It just keeps playing over and over in my mind just like…a freaking broken record!" She looked over at Miyami, waiting for her to send her a sympathetic look, before continuing on. "I mean, you know it takes a lot to embarrass me, but to have to pry my mother away from my math teacher is definitely one of those 'lots' – and I needed Hiwatari's help to do it!"

"Um…look on the bright side?" Miyami tried, struggling to come up with something to say at the same time as she pulled a rumpled black sweater from under Chaya's bed.

"Which would be?"

"At lease she's not playing tag with your dad and running around in her wedding dress on the front lawn."

There was silence. Chaya stared at Miyami in disbelief for a moment, but when her expression didn't change or indicate any joke, Chaya cleared her throat. "Uh…I don't want to know, do I?"

"Nope."

Another pause. "You scare me, you know that, right?"

"I very well should."

Miyami grinned at her and then looked back at her work, almost studying it. Chaya snorted in amusement and lay back on her bed. Miyami was over that afternoon t get ready for the Offspring concert that they were going to. It was Chaya's parent's birthday present to her for that year – and it was the first time she would be allowed to go to a concert without a parental unit hanging around. As long as she went with a friend, she was good to go.

"Chaya, door!" the girls heard Chaya's father yell up the stairs, "Better hurry up or I might just bring out the baby-pictures!"

Chaya made a face. "I think it's my parents' lot in life to drive me nuts and embarrass me – it must be a guy at the door. That's the only time dad ever threatens with the baby-pictures."

"Aw, come on, I bet you were cute," her best friend teased.

"I was fucking adorable, but that's beside the point," Chaya replied seriously. She rolled her eyes and slipped off of the bed with a thump. "Hang on, I'll be right back." In response, Miyami proceeded to grab the edge of the bunk-bed and 'held on' as she had been told by Chaya. "Smart ass."

"I heard that."

The blond girl rolled her eyes yet again before disappearing down the stairs, skipping down the steps cheerfully, the sound of her feet reminiscent of the tread of an elephant. She swung around the hallway and slipped into towards the back door where visitors usually came through. It wasn't usual that they walked through the hobby-shop – as far as Chaya knew, Miyami was the only one who took a strange liking to using the shop's entrance.

Chaya skidded to a halt when she noticed who it was that was standing in the doorway. Ray Kon's beaming face met her gaze when she opened her mouth to ask who it was, and she rapidly changed her question to an exclamation of surprise. "Ray!"

The Chinese boy was standing there, dressed in his winter clothes, his boots dripping and frozen drops that were once snowflakes melting in his hair. He had taken his mittens off and was holding a large box under his arm in an almost protective way.

"Hey there, birthday girl – whose birthday is technically tomorrow," he greeted her.

"Ray, what the hell are you doing here?" she demanded, and for a moment she noticed his face fall even as she strode forward and dragged him into the house. He made a small noise as she pushed him in front of the heater in the kitchen and forced him to stand there. "It's the middle of January! You shouldn't be outside in less than a snowsuit and mukluks – why are you only wearing a windbreaker? Where's your hat and scarf!" His expression seemed to lift, and now a glint of amusement lightened in his eyes. "And don't smirk at me like that, I'm serious!"

"Chays, it's not even an inch of snow – the temperature's maybe one degree below zero and the sun is shining despite the snow," the older teen assured her, his mouth quirked in a smile. "I don't know why you're freaking out like – "

"You could catch pneumonia or hypothermia," she accused shrilly.

"– that," he finished, backing up slightly. "Maybe I'll just come back at a better time…" He actually began to inch towards the door.

"Don't mind her," Max's voice interrupted as he walked by, fixing his hooded sweater with one hand and balancing a mug of hot chocolate with the other. Chaya noticed the anxious look on his face, and it occurred to her that he had been hoping the door was for him.

'That's right! Tyson's coming over today…almost forgot about that…'

"…She's been a little paranoid about winter since the Ice Storm of '98." When Ray raised an eyebrow in confusion, Max clarified with, "We lived in Quebec at the time." The Chinese boy nodded in understanding.

"I heard a ruckus!" a loud voice declared, and Miyami appeared at the head of the stairs, one hand raised towards the ceiling. "Heh…I remembered a vocab word. Go me!"

"Hey Miyam – ow!" Ray's greeting was cut off as Chaya grabbed the hot chocolate from her brother and shoved it into Ray's hands, nearly burning him in the process as she tried to move him over towards the radiator. "That's hot!"

"No, you're just cold," Chaya replied smartly, fighting off her brother with one arm as he tried to get his hot beverage back. "Which you wouldn't be if you had left your warm home for my warm home – " She paused to reflect on something, before asking, "So why did you leave your warm home for my warm home?"

"Well, partially to wish Max a happy birthday today," Ray nodded, putting down the hot chocolate and digging into his pocket with the hand that wasn't holding the large box. He tossed the blond boy an envelope and grinned. "That's money for a new CD player, okay? I noticed you broke yours the other day."

Max sheepishly began to protest at the expensive gift, but Ray ignored him easily by turning to Chaya, holding out the large cardboard box. "And this is for you – considering I don't think it's such a good idea to give it to you tomorrow." Chaya felt her face heat up that Ray had bothered to come all the way over just to give her a gift. She would have been content with even a telephone call – but this was more than she had even fathomed.

"What is it?"

"I think the point of the exercise is to open the box and find out," Ray deadpanned and Chaya stuck out her tongue, sitting down on one of the couches to examine the box. It was about four times the size of a shoebox, with holes in the sides and top.

A feeling of apprehension took hold of her as she lifted the lid and peered inside.

At first she thought that she was looking into a box of rags, considering the small woolen blanket surrounded what looked like a rolled up, cream-colored pair of tights. It was only seconds later when she saw it move and nearly dropped the box in shock that she realized how wrong she was. A large head with overly large ears and eyes poked upwards towards her, nearly causing the creature's skinny body to keel over from the disproportionate size. Its skin was in folds, with wrinkles upon wrinkle. A shrill, clear 'meow' sounded from the tiny animal's mouth.

Chaya stared in shock, unable to come up with something to say.

"It's a Sphynx cat," Ray explained, looking proudly down at the kitten that was blinking drearily up at Chaya. "I knew that you were allergic to cats, so I made sure to get one without fur. My cousin's cat just had a litter and I figured it would be the perfect gift for you – Sphynx cats are actually really friendly and this one just looked like it should be yours so I picked it up."

The kitten mewled pathetically again and shifted closer into the blankets that lined the box. Chaya couldn't blame it, considering how cold the weather was and how naked the cat was.

Ray was looking at her doubtfully. "Uh…it's okay, isn't it, Chaya?"

The teen didn't sound so sure of himself anymore and when she looked up she noticed the sudden, almost panicked expression on his face. He looked as though if she didn't like it he would be crushed. She could not tell him that it wasn't just that she was allergic to them, but that she hated cats with a fiery passion. Instead, she allowed a wide smile to appear on her face.

"It's, uh, great!" she grinned, but then looked doubtful. "But I don't think I can keep him, my parents – "

"Oh, don't worry, I made sure to ask your parents before I went through with it," the Chinese boy assured her, looking foolish with happiness.

Chaya felt like choking, but instead she leaned closer to the ugly animal.

"He's beautiful," she cooed, trying to hold back her repulsion at the naked _thing _that was poking its head out of the box at her. She couldn't let Ray know this considering he had gone out of his way to get her this gift for her birthday. You couldn't just refuse a pet, especially if the guy you currently had a crush on had given it to you.

"It's a she," Ray corrected pleasantly. "I'll be over with her things tomorrow after school, okay?"

"Th-things?" Chaya repeated, her mind drawing a blank at what he could mean.

"Well, yeah," Ray said, as though it was obvious. "Cats need a whole bunch of stuff – litter boxes, scratching posts, food – there's a little packet in the box with some food for her, but you'll need more." Chaya was openmouthed yet again. Ray noticed. "What?"

"I just can't believe it," she said, swallowing after a moment. "You bought me…a cat…"

"It was nothing," Ray mumbled, not meeting her eyes. "I wanted to get you something for your birthday that no one else would think of getting. You need something original."

Chaya couldn't help but keep staring at Ray, when she noticed that her brother and Miyami had been unnaturally silent throughout the little exchange. Max's expression mirrored Chaya's in its astonishment, but Miyami didn't seem to notice the shock value. She was staring at the wrinkly kitten, a strange look in her eyes.

Chaya coughed. "Miyami?"

"Yo?" the silver eyed girl replied, looking up and focusing on Chaya's face, although her eyes kept flicking back to the kitten in the box.

"You okay?"

"Uh huh."

"You sure?"

"Yup…"

They exchanged glances for a moment, Chaya trying to figure out what was going on with her friend and Miyami attempting to keep a straight face.

"Right…well, I have to get going again," Ray mumbled, breaking the silence. "My parents are going out tonight and I actually got stuck with Ying-duty. Uh…" He regarded Chaya strangely for a moment. "See you at school?"

"S-sure," she replied numbly, looking down at the package in her arms again and then up at him. Her gaze lingered on his hands. Angry red welts glared back at her. "Oh my g – Ray, what happened? Your fingers are scratched to shit!"

"Oh, yeah," Ray cleared his throat almost awkwardly. "That was your cat. She doesn't like to be touched, it seems."

"I thought you said she was friendly?" Chaya asked placidly, although at the back of her mind she was yelling, 'And you gave this monster to me!'

Ray smiled weakly and shrugged. Chaya refrained from screaming out obscenities and smiled back at him. "Well…make sure you clean yourself up when you get home or that'll get infected."

"Yes mother…"

"Shut up!"

And with that, Ray was gone in an instant, the wind barely unsettling the inner warmth of the house, leaving three speechless teenagers standing in the entrance. There was a long bout of silence among them, broken only by some silent yowls from the animal in the box. Chaya looked down at her new pet.

"So…he got you a _cat_."

"Miyami, shut up. I know what you're going to say," Chaya made an annoyed face at her best friend. "So spare it."

"I would…but the fact that he bought you a _pet_! No other guy will ever again buy you something like that – especially not a Sphynx cat because those things are damned expensive and – "

"We're friends! He's just…overly dedicated?"

Miyami snorted. "Oh yeah. You two. Just friends. No danger there…"

"Chays…" Max interrupted, peering over his sister's shoulder at the wrinkled creature she held. "You hate cats – why didn't you tell Ray that?"

"Because I was being polite," she struggled, trying to find a reason why she hadn't been completely truthful with Ray. It was just…he had gone through all that…and he'd looked crestfallen when she had hinted she was less than happy at the gift. "But now I don't know what I should – Miyami, for goddess' sake stop looking at Harry like you want to eat her!"

"I don't want to eat – Harry?" the Asian girl broke off, raising an eyebrow at Chaya in confusion, her gaze not gravitating back towards the cat this time. "You already named it? Doesn't naming it automatically mean that you've accepted it as yours?"

"No!...I mean, well…the thing might as well have a name while we figure out what to do with it," Chaya mumbled, turning red. Honestly, the name had been the first thing to come to mind when she had looked at the thing. "We can't just keep saying 'the thing' or 'the cat'."

"But that's a guy's name," Max made a face. "Unless you're thinking of calling the poor sucker Harriet."

"No way," Chaya shook her head. "Just Harry. Harry the Hairless Cat."

Max did a double take, and then winced. "How are we related again?"

"Ha ha, very funny, Maxie. This is no different from the time you named your goldfish Darth Vader."

"Yes it is."

"No it's not!"

"Is!"

"Is not!

"Is too---MIYAMI STOP LOOKING AT MY CAT!"

"I'm not looking at your cat!"

"You are too!"

"Am not!"

"Miyami…"

"Chaya…"

"Okay, if this is a girl moment, I'm leaving," Max rolled his eyes, leaning over the box and reaching over to pet the miserable looking kitten. "Good bye Harr---OW!" Max leapt back, cradling a large red scratch on his right hand. He glared at the cat. "What the hell? I just leaned over the stupid thing!" he yelled furiously.

"Hm, looks like she has sense after all," Chaya smirked at her brother. "Don't you, Harry?" She leaned over and stroked the kitten between the wrinkly ears and to her surprise, never mind any one else's, a low purring sound came from deep in the kitten's throat. The demon kitten hadn't even tried to take a swipe at her, amazingly enough.

Max glared at Chaya and then pranced off, stomping his feet as though he was in the middle of some kind of tantrum. Miyami laughed at him as he disappeared, and then nodded her head in his direction. "That was…mature."

"He rarely is," Chaya remarked, finding that despite the homeliness of the cat, its skin was soft and wrinkly like silk. And she liked the way it leaned up towards her when she rubbed it behind the ears. "So, what's your deal? Are you some kind of fiend that rapes kittens?" She held Harry's box protectively against her chest, miming a shocked look. Her friend glared.

"Very funny smart-ass – no, I was just freaked out. I mean, it's a naked cat for Christ's sake. That's not a natural animal…"

"Is too."

"Not."

"Too!"

"Not!

"To – "

"WILL YOU ALL JUST BE QUIET AND LEAVE THE REST OF THE HOUSE WITH SOME SEMBLANCE OF PEACE AND QUIET!" yelled a voice from upstairs and Chaya rolled her eyes.

"Yes, oh mighty math teacher beater…" she yelled downstairs, a smirk playing on her lips as she waited for the response.

"Chaya-Amelia Mizuhara, don't take that tone with me or there will be no concert tonight and Miyami will go home!"

The teenaged girls exchanged amused grins, before Chaya motioned for them to return to her room. Carrying the box carefully, Chaya lead the way up the stairs and back into the disaster area known as hers and Max's room. Miyami returned to her task of attempting to tidy the place up, while Chaya set the cardboard box on the bed.

"So, you going to tell me the actual reason as to you looking like you want to eat my kitten?"

"If you stop making stupid remarks," Miyami challenged.

"Fine," the blond said, rolling her eyes as she set tipped box down and let the kitten tumble out. It sat in a confused heap for a moment before moving to it's feet, yowling pathetically, and then walking curiously around her messy bed for a moment. It leaped down, circled a bundle of clothes, and then busied itself with batting at the leg of the bunk-bed. Chaya had a feeling that unless they had the cat declawed, the furniture of the house had met its match…

"When I was little I had this thing about running after my aunts cats," Miyami shrugged. "And then one of them bit me and I stopped chasing them. But that didn't stop me from _wanting _to chase them."

"Heh, Miyami the dog…"

"What was that?" her friend's eyes narrowed.

Chaya put her hands up defensively. "What other animal chases cats? Dogs. I just naturally – "

"Are you trying to insult me there, Chays?"

"Uh, no, I'm not – "

"Because if you are I'll go freaking 'Crouching Tiger' on your ass."

"Oh shut up, Fido, before I go find the newspaper."

"Why you – !" Miyami got ready to leap at her, but was stopped when there was a knock at the door and Chaya's father poked his head in.

"You girls ready yet? I thought you were going to a concert?" he looked confused, and when they didn't answer him, his eyes strayed to the little bundle of wrinkles that was patiently scratching at the leg of the bed. "Whose hairless rat?"

"That would be my birthday present, dad," Chaya said in a would-be cheerful voice, hoping he would tell her to give it back. "Ray gave it to me – apparently he got your okay on the matter?"

"Oh yeah, he did talk to me about it a few days ago," her father mused. "He asked about a pet – I didn't know he was thinking of a cat…" He shrugged. "Make sure you take care of it – and don't forget to thank Ray again. That breed isn't exactly cheap, honey – it's nice of him to spend so much money on you, but definitely not necessary…"

Chaya gaped at the door as it closed and looked back at Miyami who smirked.

"So…still think he doesn't like you?"

"Oh shut up," the blond groaned, falling back on her bed and throwing a pillow over her face. The two girls didn't speak for a while, until there was a strangled 'mewl' from the floor and Chaya's eyes shot open beneath the pillow.

"MIYAMI!"

"WHAT!"

* * *

>0 

Heh heh…well there we go. Bet you guys didn't expect what happened in this chapter…I will now continue to laugh evilly and go work on Yami no Anoyo…Read and review please and thankies!

Kuri


	33. Funsucker

**_Drowning in the Clouds_**

Author: KuriQuinn

Title: Drowning in the Clouds

Fandom: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all

Fanfiction Disclaimer: Chaya is my own creation, as is Haley, Jennifer, Claire and anyone else that you don't recognize. Miyami Kinomiya belongs to Mags, my best friend. Aurelia Delk belongs to Band-Freak aka Lobo-Chan. And that is all for now...Flash Jameson belongs to Flash, Iris Messana belongs to Iz

Rating: R for language, mature themes and mature humour

Pairing: Figure it out.

Takes-Place: Alternate Universe

Summary: Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

* * *

>0 

**Chapter Thirty-Two: Funsucker**

"Damn it Max, hold still!" Chaya yelled furiously as she pulled the comb through her brother's hair. It was maddeningly frustrating, considering how thick it was – always a source of jealousy for Chaya, considering how thin her own hair was. For a moment she was tempted to just pull at it a little more just to spite him.

"I would, if your cat wasn't using my leg as a scratching post!" Max shot back. Chaya coughed innocently and then scraped the comb roughly over Max's head in retribution. "OW!"

"Serves you right," she replied.

It was a month now since Chaya's interesting fifteenth birthday present, which had proceeded to destroy the house piece by piece. Harry had quickly become an interesting addition to the family – and a violent one as well. It seemed the only person she would allow to touch her was Chaya. When anyone else came near her, she instantly went on the offensive, biting and scratching until they left her alone. Chaya's mother was convinced that the spirit of evil possessed the creature, while Max and her father just completely avoided the demon kitty.

Personally, Chaya was amused because it made people leave her alone.

"Remind me why you absolutely need to do this?" Max grumbled, trying to crane his neck away from Chaya's merciless comb. "We're just going to hang out at the arcade or something, there's really no point to – "

"You want him to notice you, don't you?" Chaya deadpanned, putting her hands on her hips.

"Chaya, maybe we should just forget the whole – "

"No," Chaya cut him off immediately, the set look appearing on her face. It annoyed her that despite her best efforts, and recently Miyami's as well, the two guys didn't seem to pick up on each others hints. And telling either of them about the other one would break her promises both to Max and Miyami.

So, until then she would have to be subtle with both parties, she thought in resignation. 'And there's no damn way we're giving up now!'

"Come on, now Max, relax and let me spiff you up a little. It never hurts to look good. I mean, at least one of us can pull off good looks…"

"Are you implying I look bad when I don't have your help?"

"How do I answer in a way that won't get me beaten into the floor?"

"You don't."

"Right. Pleading the fifth then…" Chaya grinned at her brother's reflection in the mirror, noting his eyes roll heavenward. Chaya refrained from saying anything to that, surveying her handiwork with a small hint of pride. Even though she had been a brat about it, she had done a pretty good job. His usually wavy blond hair that he combed back had been trimmed and straightened out so that it fell carelessly around his head and into his eyes – what Miyami called grungy rock style – and he was wearing a black t-shirt and old baggy jeans that Chaya had discovered hidden in the dark, dank depths of their still unfinished basement. A wash and a few patches later and they looked as good as new. "Anyway, I think you're ready – unless you want me to start giving you lipstick which would really freak me out – I mean, I'm okay with – "

"Ha ha, you're so funny, why aren't you a clown?" her brother deadpanned.

"Failed clown school," Chaya replied with a straight face. She said it so seriously that her brother actually paused and studied her as though he might believe her if he hadn't known any better.

_Ding-dong!_

"That's him," Chaya grinned at her brother, who gave her a strange look. "No play nice – and I don't have to beat him up or anything, do I?"

"How about you go help mom clean up the kitchen?" her brother suggested, looking in the mirror and running a hand through his hair the way he usually did – effectively messing up what she had worked on for the past half-hour. With one last amused face, Max hopped off, jumping down the stairs and calling out a greeting to Tyson as he opened the door.

Chaya headed out of the bathroom and went to hang around in the kitchen where her parents were reading the paper and making lunch. She heard the door close somewhere and decided that her brother had finally left the house – effectively leaving her to her own boredom.

"Mom, Dad, can I get a belly-ring?" she asked suddenly, loud and thoughtful as she saw down on one of the counters. Her mother looked annoyed at her seating choice, almost as though she hadn't heard Chaya's question while her father looked almost sick.

"Honey, don't you think you have enough holes in your body?" her father asked wearily, looking up from the stir-fry he was making for lunch and fixing his gaze pointedly on her nose-ring. "I mean, you have so many holes in you that you probable couldn't hold a cup of water."

"Very funny dad," Chaya mumbled, glancing over at the clock on the stove. The fluorescent green digits indicated the time as one o'clock on the dot. "Well anyhow – I have the dreaded thing known as homework to finish – so see ya."

She hopped off of the counter, stubbing her toe on the chair as she passed it, and made her way up the stairs cursing the pain. Before she could reach her room, the telephone in her parents' room rang, causing her to have to make a detour when no one downstairs picked it up. Hopping onto the large bed, she reached for the peanut-shaped phone and held it to her ear. "Hullo?"

"Chaya?"

"You got it – who's this?"

"I'm insulted," the voice on the other end of the phone said, a thick accent going static over the line. "How can you not know who it is? I don't exactly sound like anyone else who knows you and would be asking for you…"

"…Taryn?"

"No shit."

"Alright, alright," she grumbled, inching around to get comfortable on her parents bed. "So, what do you want? And how'd you get my number?"

"It was in the agenda – listen, my grandfather wants proof that I'm making friends at school – something about him not wanting me to turn into a hellion again? Whatever…"

"And this means…what to me?"

"It means get your ass over here," the other girl said simply. "Bring a friend – and a toothbrush." The click of the receiver was loud in her ear and as she pulled it away, staring at the receiver on her end with disbelief, Chaya cursed the ringing in her ears.

'What the hell? She just expects me to drop everything and show up at her house? Which, by the way, happens to be the same home as the person I hate the most in the world – just because she said so! Well, she's got another thing coming to her!'

Outwardly, Chaya snorted, marching resolutely over to her desk and pushing the old loose papers off to make room for her binders and textbooks. "Chaya Mizuhara drops nothing for no one!"

She crossed her arms and looked doggedly down at her open math book.

Hm, linear equations and graphing…

…

…

"Mom! Dad! I'm going to Taryn's!"

(-)

"Holy shit…did we just walk into Alexander Palace?" Miyami asked loudly, staring around them in awe as they were led into the foyer of the Oreskovic mansion by a tall butler that reminded Chaya of Lurch from the _Addams' Family_. He had a resigned look on his face as he showed them in.

"Nah," Chaya replied, looking up at the huge chandelier that was hanging twenty feet above them in stately glory. "They're missing the royal seals and architecture from before the revolution."

Her friend broke of staring at the house fix her with a look of disbelief. "I don't even want to know how you know that."

"When I was ten my family took a vacation to Moscow," she explained, looking at all of the art that lay around the house.

"…And?"

"I made the palaces list of Ten Most Wanted Offenders."

Miyami snorted. "…Shoulda known…"

"Finally, I thought you had gotten hit by a bus or something," Taryn called down the grand staircase before them. They noticed her on the landing, smirking down at them with a look identical to the one Kai Hiwatari usually wore on his face. "You don't need Olaf to bring up your stuff, do you?"

"Here, Olaf, bring up our stuff," Miyami grinned, passing the butler her backpack. Chaya rolled her eyes and began to climb the staircase towards Taryn. She had to admit, the Oreskovic house was not too shabby. Everything was shiny, gilded or hardwood, there were paintings by almost every artist Chaya had ever studied at school (and she was sure that most of them were authentic), and it had that old, antique house smell permeating throughout it.

"Dude, your hair…" Chaya murmured, staring at her friend now that she could see her in the light. The girl's once waist-length hair had been shorn off in such a way that half of her head was now bald, while the other half reached her chin and was dyed a purpling black. "That is some dramatic change…did you go to the only barber shop in town? Because I would paid Sally big money to shorn off all that hair…did you at least donate it to cancer?"

"_Nyet_," she girl shook her head. "I cut it myself just now in the bathroom…but I kept the pieces…"

"You scare me," Miyami piped up, although she looked somewhat impressed.

"To donate, you moron," Taryn rolled her eyes, a smirk tugging at her lips. "Now come on, my room's this way." She picked a piece of lint off of her baggy black silk blouse and motioned for them to follow her. "Dinner's at six o'clock sharp – anything later and grandfather gets assholish – don't expect to see Kai around here I paid him to stay out of our hair for the evening – "

"Well I'm suddenly so relieved," Chaya replied sarcastically as they entered Taryn's room. She blinked, barely registering Olaf putting down hers and Miyami's bags behind them and asking Taryn if anything further was needed of him.

Taryn's room could have easily been as big as hers and Max's room, the bathroom and her parents' room all put together. It was large and spacious, decorated in crimson and black, with the walls plastered with ever metal, gothic rock and punk band that Chaya had ever heard of, as well as more that she hadn't. Even the ceiling was hidden beneath posters of a bunch of Russian bands – the only discrepancy in the posters was a lone Backstreet Boys poster that looked as though it had been there for a while and not taken down out of habit. The stereo in the corner was blaring something that Chaya was slowly able to identify as System of a Down.

"Holy shit and noodles," Miyami breathed, cutting off Chaya's thoughts for the moment. "Dude, are you sure this place is big enough?"

"We're knocking down the wall between the spare room and mine in the summer – it's a useless room anyway, no one sleeps in there. We don't have guests," Taryn shrugged, going over to flop onto her four-poster bed, which was covered in a strange mess of textbooks, old tomes and magazines. She noticed that Chaya had not yet moved. "Chaya?"

"Chaya's not in right now. Please leave a message after the censored curseword," the blond girl murmured in a high voice as she looked at the room in awe. "_Bleep_!"

"Oh, yeah, real original," Miyami snorted, plopping down on the ground and grabbing a copy of some Russian rock magazine, which was written in Cyrillic and showed some metal band rocking out. "Hey, I didn't know the February edition was out yet! How'd you get it?"

Taryn yawned. "My step-brother knows the editor."

"Who, Vaughn?" Miyami asked, at the same time that Chaya turned to Miyami and yelled. "You know Russian?"

The three girls stared at each other for a moment, before Miyami rolled her eyes at Chaya.

"Dude, of course I know Russian, I'm half that and half Japanese, plus I lived in Russia for a year – went to school and everything!" Miyami rolled her eyes. "I mean, I even look it." She leaned over so that Chaya could compare her to her cousin.

"Actually, I kinda thought you looked German," Taryn admitted to an incensed Miyami.

"You idiot! She looks more Kraut than I do!" Miyami howled, pointing at Chaya, who was staring at her. Then she glared.

"Excuse me, I'd prefer if you didn't degrade my ancestors by naming them after a type of food," she deadpanned. Then she turned abruptly towards the once slate-haired host. "Yo, Big T."

There was a pause.

"…Big T?" Miyami and Taryn murmured in confusion, looking at Chaya with a kind of pitying disgust etched into their features.

"Oh hey, don't you know I'm trying to go a rapper, yo?" the blond smirked, doing a few wannabe-ghetto movements with her fingers, trying to look like she was jamming. Her friends continued to look at her with looks of confusion mixed with disgust.

"Are you drunk?" Taryn asked suspiciously, inching away from Chaya. "Because if you are, you can leave. My grandfather has a thing about alcoholics."

"Not drunk, but I have to get out of this room as soon as possible," the blond girl shrugged.

"Why?" Taryn asked, looking slightly insulted.

"Because the cute one's looking at me," Chaya grumbled, her eyes looking past her friend and landing on the outdated poster of the Backstreet Boys that she had noticed long before. Her friends followed her gaze, and then Miyami snorted.

"You think Nick's the cute one?"

"…"

"I always thought Howie was the cute one…"

"I liked Brian," Taryn commented absently.

Miyami frowned and looked at Chaya. "I thought you hated the Backstreet Boys?"

"I do and I was joking – Tar, I need to go to the little Chaya's room," she cocked her head to one side, looking expectantly at her friend. "_Los directiones, mi amiga?" _

"Down the hall and to the left," Taryn told her, going back to burying her face in one of her magazines. "Meanwhile, me and Yami will figure out something to do tonight after supper because there's no way we're sticking around this blow-hole…"

Chaya sniggered and slipped out of Taryn's room, giving into the impulse to trail her fingers along the walls of the hallway. They were painted in the famous Pompeii red and littered with works or art that lived in gilded frames. She couldn't help but admire the art in its self, nor could she believe that it was even possible for people to be as wealthy as the Hiwatari teens were. Sure, she had seen it in the movies, but she had never actually believed that people could be so rich…

'Proof that Fortune is a vengeful woman with a sadistic sense of humor," she thought wryly as she turned down the hall and opened the door to the left as she had been instructed by Taryn.

"What the fuck?" Chaya's eyes whipped to the owner of the voice as she found herself looking into the dark crimson eyes of none other than Kai Hiwitari. "You, Mizuhara, are the last person that I wanted to see today."

Chaya gaped noiselessly, looking around at what she had thought to be the bathroom, but what was obviously Kai's room.

It was huge, probably bigger than Taryn's, although he didn't have a four-poster bed. It was just a normal double and the walls were painted a gloomy green, as was the ceiling. The furnishings were simple, despite for the weight set that sat in the corner and the plain desk with the computer in the other. Shelves and countertops that held small model cars, ranging from Mazda to Ferrari and everything in between, were built across the expanse of the room. Chaya was brought back to the memory of him saying he didn't know anything about cars and wondered if he really didn't or if he had just been telling his buddy Ivanov that to make him leave him alone.

What amazed her the most of all was that many of the same bands that she listened to adorned the walls of her enemy. The biggest shock was the obvious presence of more Nickelback merch than even she owned.

"What the hell are you doing in here, anyway? Get out," he continued and for the first time, Chaya looked at him – and not only in the eyes. He was sitting on a mat on the floor wearing only track-pants and sneakers, sweating and out of breath. It was obvious that he had just finished a round of exercises, especially because of his flushed face. There were reasons that Kai Hiwitari was one of the most sought after guys at Bethany High, and Chaya was sure she was looking at one of those reasons. Even in her devout hatred for him, she had to admit that he had a fit body.

This time she was able to make out the characters written on his abdomen: Family and strength.

"See something you like, Mizuhara?"

"I'll let you know," she replied coldly. To her annoyance and surprise, he grinned at her, showing his teeth. Perfect teeth, really. He probably hadn't even had braces. She remembered having braces. They had been miserable. For a moment she couldn't think about anything else, before recovering herself and making a face at him. "Taryn said the bathroom was this way – I got turned around. Otherwise I wouldn't have intruded on your…cave."

Hiwatari smirked. "Is that the best you can do?"

"I'm only human."

"I keep forgetting that."

She looked around again, and then blurted out, "You like Nickelback?"

"Got a problem with that?" the owner of the room asked coldly.

"Hiwitari, I never would have pegged you as a Nickelback fan…"

"Why? Not hard rock enough for you, poser?"

"Hardly. Most people wouldn't say Nickelback is hard rock, and they get all weird when I group them in with the real headbangingshit."

"That's because they don't realize what good music is."

"No kidding."

There was a silence between the two where they stared at each other suspiciously. Chaya opened her mouth to comment, but Kai beat her to it.

"Did we just have a conversation bordering on normal and non-physical?"

"Yeah," she said grimly. "Let's never do it again, I'm getting scared."

"Right," the slatehaired boy nodded, getting to his feet and grabbing a towel that was flung onto his bed. He began to wipe the sweat from his body and turned a glare upon the blond. "So, bleach-bimbo, going to get the hell out of my room any time soon?"

"Right now. The stench around here is disgusting." But she didn't moved. He smirked, the gesture wider than usual.

"Only someone as stupid as you could mistake a bathroom for someone's room," the older teen snorted. "It was open, you loser."

"Excuse me for not being as perceptive as you, oh King of the Assholes," Chaya said, her tone dripping with distain as she made a mocking bow to her nemesis.

"Don't you forget it, my Queen," he smirked. His grin widened when she turned red in anger and glowered.

"Buddy, I wouldn't be your match-up or consort or anything like that if you offered me the world," she snapped. "There's no bigger female asshole than Clarkson, so why don't you make her your queen? After all, her hair's solid enough to form a crown…you guys would be perfect for each other…"

"Original, Mizuhara, very original," Kai drawled, sauntering over to her. "But I prefer my partners to be significantly shorter than I am. And closer to my age. So I guess you'll have to do, oh Queen of the Assholes."

"Are you calling me short?" she hissed, standing on her tip-toes to get close enough to glare even better. He was saved from replying when his sister appeared behind Chaya.

"I thought you were going to the washroom," Taryn asked Chaya suspiciously. She nodded at Kai. "Spaz."

"Skinhead," he replied without a beat.

"You gave me bad directions," Chaya replied, though her eyes didn't leave Kai's smirking face.

"Nyet, I gave you wrong directions," Taryn corrected. "Now, come on, Miyami's ordering us some cherry bombs from the US army…and stop ogling my brother…"

"I AM NOT OGLING THAT PIECE OF USED ASS TISSUE!" Chaya yelled as Taryn dragged her back to her room. "And I still didn't get to use the bathroom!"

"Hold it then…"

Chaya growled, wanting to reply to her friend but deciding not to. Behind her, she could hear Hiwatari snort and mutter under his breath. "There's an idiot born every minute…two that minute."

She knew he was talking about her and Taryn.

(-)

"So…how are you getting cherry bombs from the military?" Chaya asked grumpily, leaning on a black cushion that she had nicked from Taryn's bed. She and Taryn were lounging on the ground as Miyami paced back and forth with the cordless phone in her hands, a set look on her face.

"Sh," her best friend ordered, her hand over the mouth piece of the phone. "I have connections---hey, Uncle Alan? Miyami. Give me Frankie Two Toes."

Chaya swallowed painfully. "Why's he called Frankie Two Toes?"

"If I told you that, I'd have to kill you," Miyami said simply.

Taryn and Chaya exchanged glances and then promptly shut up.

* * *

>0 

Y'okay, I'm done with that chapter, so there we go. Hope you guys liked it...damn, I say that all the time---but I do mean it! Anyhoo, again I apologize for being so late with the updates, but I am working on it. Read and review please.

Wuvsies,

Kuri


	34. Buntoucher

___**Drowning in the Clouds**_

_Author:_ KuriQuinn

_Title:_ Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom:_ Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all

_Fanfiction Disclaimer:_ Chaya is my own creation, as is Haley, Jennifer, Claire and anyone else that you don't recognize. Miyami Kinomiya belongs to Mags, my best friend. Aurelia Delk belongs to Band-Freak aka Lobo-Chan. And that is all for now...Flash Jameson belongs to Flash, Iris Messana belongs to Iz

_Rating:_ R for language, mature themes and mature humour

_Pairing:_ Figure it out.

_Takes-Place:_ Alternate Universe

_Summary:_ Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

* * *

>0 

**Chapter Thirty-Three: Buntoucher **

"Hhhheeeeyyy, Chaya, exactly the person I wanted to see," a smooth, suave voice in her ear said and Chaya felt an arm encircle her shoulders. She felt her face turn pink when she noticed how close Ray Kon's face was looming before her own.

She heard Miyami snort and glared at her out of the corner of her eye, where she was leaning against the lockers. Ray looked between her and Miyami. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Nothing really," Chaya replied, her voice squeaking slightly. When Miyami just laughed harder, she cleared her throat, inwardly berating herself and beamed up at ray. "Nah, Miyami and I were just settling something – you know, plans for this weekend."

Miyami sent her a meaningful smirk. "Yeah, and as to that, I'm going to leave you guys to do some settling of your own…"

Chaya glared as her best friend marched away, leaving the two still standing in front of the school.

"What is she going on about?" Ray asked in confusion, letting go of Chaya's shoulders and turning to face her. She put on an innocent face and shrugged.

"Hell if I know…she probably cut back on her meds or something."

A loud voice rang through the hallways. "I heard that Chaya!"

"I know you did Miyami!" the blond shot back turning to face her friend who was standing in the distance, her hands on her hips and a pout fixed on her lips. It was what she called the 'model' stance.

"Okay then!"

"Fine!"

"I'm going in now then!"

"You do that!"

Chaya laughed as Miyami made a big show of walking in the door and turned back to Ray, who was looking at her strangely. For a moment she thought he might be debating whether or not to run away from her, so she quickly grinned cheerfully and poked him. "What? Do I…have something on my face or something?"

"No, it-it's not that," Ray grinned, a slight flush appearing on his cheeks. "I just wanted to ask if you were free tomorrow night…" Chaya's heart started beating faster, "…my parents are going out and Julia and I have plans," Her heart plummeted, "I was kind of wondering if you could baby-sit."

Chaya sighed. "Why not? I don't have any other plans in life but to baby-sit a three-year-old terror---"

"She's four. It was her birthday yesterday."

"Oh same dif!"

"So you won't?"

"Ray, were you even listening? I said I would! Look past the sarcasm!"

The Chinese teenager snorted. "But then we'd be left with the words 'I' and 'but'."

"Don't be a smart-ass, Kon."

The bell rang.

"Wouldn't dream of it," he grinned. "Listen, thanks, I'll make it up to you." He punched her playfully on the shoulder and hurried off to his homeroom class.

"You always say that!" she yelled after him, but he merely waved in reply. Chaya sighed, readjusted her backpack and started walking towards the Class from Hell.

'This sucks.'

(-)

"So, how the dating scene going between Ty-kun and Maxie?" Miyami whispered as she slowly constructed a paper football out of her math homework. "I keep asking Tyson and the little jerk won't tell me anything except to stay out of it – it's so annoying!"

"Meh."

"Is Max being a jerk too?"

"Hm, nope."

"Chaya are you even listening to me!"

"Yes, I'm listening," Chaya snapped under her breath, her eyes riveted on the front of the class. "I'm just not paying attention. I have too much to worry about without worrying about whop made the first move, okay? They're both too clueless, I bet neither even thought about the first move…"

"Yeesh, what crawled up your butt and died?" the silver eyed girl harrumphed.

"Nothing. Ray's just driving me nuts again…"

"Ah, young love…"

"Shut up Miyami! Anyway, now he wants we to watch the female terror," the blond girl complained as she reached into her pencil case and began to colored her fingernails with a permanent marker. "Why does he always treat me as a bloody housewife!"

"You know? I just thought of something…he's technically treating you as the other woman," Miyami remarked. "Because technically he's going out on a date and leaving you home with the kid---you're getting the affair out of your way before you're even thirty!"

"Not helping, Miyami."

"Sorry," the silver-eyed girl shrugged, looking deflated. "Never said I was good at comforting people…:

"Can you two pipe down?" Riley shouted from the front of the class, drawing attention to the two girls in the back row. "I know homeroom isn't one of the most earth shattering period at school, but do you think you could put some effort into at least pretending to pay attention?"

"Sure, Riley, effort is my middle name," Chaya called back seriously.

"Because it starts with 'F'," Miyami added, nodding excitedly.

Riley shook his head and turned back to the blackboard. He looked as though he was contemplating why he put up with the two of them. His poor tortured brain was saved from having to even consider the answer as the bell signifying the end of homeroom rang. All of the students hurriedly grabbed their books and proceeded to their first class of the day.

Chaya flashed Riley a 'V' sign as she and Miyami strolled out of the class, bumping into Ray in the process. He grinned at them and Chaya looked suspiciously at the Chinese boy.

"Where's your other half?" she questioned.

"Um…Julia?" Ray guessed in confusion and Chaya rolled her eyes.

"No, _Johnny_," she said as though it were the most obvious answer in the world. "You guys are always hanging out together and he's suddenly gone---did you guys have a fight or something?"

"You're talking as though we're together," Ray deadpanned. "And no, we didn't. McGregor's just getting chewed out by Clarkson…again…"

As though on cue, the three teens looked in the direction that Ray was nodding in and watched as Johnny got yelled at by Clarkson, a look of sheer boredom on his face. His mouth was quirked at the corner in an insolent smirk and even Clarkson might have taken the entire expression as a look of repentance had his eyes not been sparkling mischievously beneath his long red bangs.

"…and we will continue with conversation in my office, Mr. McGregor," the vice principal said, nostrils flaring. "Follow me, though I have no doubt whatsoever that you know the way to my office better than I do…" The truth in this statement was almost laughable.

As they passed by them, Johnny caught the eye of the rest of his friends and winked, openly mocking Clarkson behind her back. As though she sensed him, she whirled around, making him jump. Surprisingly, her eyes rested on Chaya instead of him.

"Chaya-Amelia," she barked suddenly.

Chaya jolted, looking at the gremlin-like woman. "Ma'am?"

"In my office, now."

"But…what did I do?" Chaya asked, perplexed, mentally going over a list of what she might have done. She hadn't done anything very out of sorts that day…she wasn't wearing one of her smart-ass shirts…and she had already finished any homework she might have neglected to finish that morning in homeroom.

Johnny appeared behind her and hung his arm around her shoulder, earning a strange look from Ray, she noticed.

"It's not what you did, it's what you're planning to do," the old battleaxe replied. "McGregor! Stop dawdling!"

"I'm not dawdling!" the redhead protested as he followed Chaya and the evil woman. "I'm just not wearing any underwear!"

Miyami and Ray exchanged slightly stricken looks as Johnny and Chaya disappeared behind the corner and then collectively shuddered.

(-)

"Ying, put that vase down _this instant_!" Chaya growled at the four-year-old she devil who stared up at her in an innocent, yet challenging way. Her straight hair had been pulled up into one small bow and she was flashing a set of pearly whites up at Chaya. "And that doesn't mean drop, throw, juggle, toss or kick, either!"

Ying giggled and then yelled out, "BOUNCY!" before letting the very expensive, very colorful and very probably Ming vase, roll from her fingers towards the marble floor.

"Or roll!" Chaya cried, diving to the very painfully hard ground and catching the fragile object in her fingers just inches before it hit the floor. An immense thankfulness for her volleyball training washed over her and she breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Chaya went splat! She bouncy too!" the evil little monster giggled before taking off in the opposite direction.

"Yeah, you'd better run, you little punk!" the blond threatened as she struggled to her feet at the same time as protecting the vase. "Because when I get my hands on you, I'm shipping you to Aboudabi!"

"Having fun?"

The brown-eyed girl's head whipped around at a painful angle and faced none other than the brother of the hell spawn, watching her in amusement. Chaya felt that she would have melted to a puddle of goo if she hadn't been aware of her extremely disheveled state. Ray's hair was unkempt today and he wore jeans and converse, punctuated by the Baby Stewie shirt with the genius baby saying 'damn you all' in flaming letters. "You know, I still say that you should rejoin the volleyball team…"

"Yeah, the minute Hiwitari off's it," Chaya snorted as she pushed herself up from the floor and then replaced the vase on the counter where it had been prior to Ying Fa's wandering hands.

"If you keep waiting for Kai to go away, you're going to have one sad life," Ray shook his head and jumped back on to the living room couch.

"I'll deal with it," Chaya replied stonily, flipping her sweaty bangs out of her eyes and trying to look casual about her messy appearance. Why did Ray have to show up now of all times? "Why are you here, anyway? Come to mock me?"

"Uh, no," Ray said, looking a little sheepish. "Tonight was cut a little…short."

"Oh?"

"Yeah…something about the 'let's just be friends' speech just ruin's the evening."

"Ray, you didn't - !"

"Hey, it wasn't me this time!" he cried, holding up his hands defensively. "Why do you always assume that it's me that does it?"

Chaya rolled her eyes. "Because it _is_ you, Ray, you're a bloody player!"

The Chinese boy opened his mouth to refute that, but then shrugged. "Okay, you've got me there – but I don't do it purposefully! I just get into a thing with a girl and it's just based on my finding her cute, nothing else." Ray made a face. "And then a week later I feel like crap over it – it's not fair to either of us if I keep going with it…"

"Then why don't you just give up dating until you're mature enough for it?" Chaya raised an eyebrow, getting a little annoyed at the fact that he was talking about all of his girl troubles when she would gladly go out with him – she actually liked him for him, unlike all those other popularity hounds… "Listen, if you're done, does that mean that I can go home now?"

"I guess," Ray murmured as he tugged absently at his shoelaces, bending upwards into a sort of bent pretzel-like position. "You could always just hand around here, if you want…"

"Why? I already spent two hours with that little monster, why would I want to spend even more?" the freshman asked, regarding Ray with an almost amused smile on her face.

"I didn't mean to spend it with Ying," Ray said quickly, steadily turning an even darker skin color than his already tanned state. "I meant, you wanna stay and hang with me? Considering we're friends and all – wow, I never thought that you valued me only for my sister…"

"Very funny, Ray…but come on. It's eight-thirty. Ying's about to be tossed---literally---into bed, meaning us hanging out one-on-one would mean more than just one-on-one," the blond smirked, a joking look on her face. "You know, if you wanted to ask me out, you should have just asked."

She watched his face turn from many different expressions before settling on a look of embarrassed confusion. It suddenly dawned and Chaya that her lighthearted joke had been more than just that. Ray was serious, and at that instant Chaya felt a very strange bubble of emotion swirl up inside of her. Tentatively, her face flushed to match Ray's, Chaya inched forward to sit down on the arm of the couch, grinning awkwardly down at him. Despite her outwardly calm demeanor, inwardly Chaya was torn between doing cartwheels and feeling apprehensive considering Ray's reputation with the girls. Given the fact, though, that she had no idea how to do proper cartwheels, she settled on just suspending any thought and waiting for Ray to say something.

"…Who told you?"

Chaya gaped. "Ray Kon! I am an intelligent individual! I'm insulted that you don't think I'm capable of figuring things out for myself!"

Silence.

"Miyami told you, didn't she?"

"…technically, yeah," Chaya admitted, instantly brought back to her friend's constant joking around that the Chinese boy liked her. "But really…I just figured it out…because I was joking when you…and then…yeah."

"Oh."

"Uh huh."

More silence.

"So…you won't skin me alive and eat my innards for breakfast?" Ray asked cautiously.

Chaya sent him a strange look, that having been the last thing she had expected to come from Ray's mouth. She was about to ask, when a drawn expression took over her face. "Miyami was watching _Hannibal_ again, wasn't she?"

"Yup."

"Ah…no, I won't skin you alive and eat your innards," the blond told him easily, as though she was talking about an everyday subject. Ray grinned and all of a sudden, a serious, heavy silence fell between them. A note of panic seemed to strike somewhere in Chaya's head and she quickly rushed to break the silence. "But I will do something else." Ray raised an eyebrow, a hesitant grin creeping over his face. "PILLOW WAR!"

_Whump! _

She decked him in the head with one of the crochet-covered pillows on the couch, quickly climbing over the arm of the couch to sit on him, trying to get better aim.

Ray let out a loud peal of laughter as he tried to defend himself from her onslaught, ducking her wild blows and using his hands to shield his face. After a few fruitless attempts, he managed to pull the pillow out of her hands and turn the game around. A minute later Chaya found herself pinned into the corner of the couch, struggling to escape from Ray, who was holding the pillow up threateningly, and evil grin on his face.

"Any last words, 'Thrower of Expensive Pillows'?"

"Uh…less talk more rock?" she attempted.

"Ha ha," Ray snorted, lowering the pillow half-heartedly. "How about telling me yes or no?"

"Yes or no what?"

"Yes or no what I asked before!"

"But you didn't ask! You implied that we both knew what you were talking about…"

"Chaya."

"Ray."

"You're gonna milk this for all it's worth, aren't you?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Would you expect any different from me?"

Resignedly, Ray sighed.

"Look, Chaya, I really like you. A lot. I wanted to know if you'd like to hang out together. Alone. The two of us. Together."

"What about Julia or Debra or whoever it was this week?" she asked suspiciously.

"We're just friends."

At this, Chaya actually paused to considering what Ray was talking about. The nagging voice at the back of her head was reminding her that Ray was one of her best friends and he was a blatant player. Actually going out with him might ruin whatever friendship they already had…but this was outstripped by the fact that she had really liked him since seeing him that first day in August…

Ray was still waiting for her expectantly, obviously wanting to hear her answer.

She smirked at him, attempting a coy smile. "…yes or no…"

He groaned. "Chaya!"

"Kidding," she allowed brightly, a serious smile finally taking over her face. "Ray, you should know the answer. I wouldn't be putting up with you if I didn't have the intention of saying yes. What'd you think I was going to do, clobber you or something?"

"I seem to recall the last guy that asked you out ended up in the ICU for a week," Ray teased, leaning closer.

"Th-that was Johnny!" Chaya said defensively, noticing immediately the decreasing distance between her and Ray. She found herself getting extremely nervous and uncomfortable with this gesture and attempted to discreetly push herself further into the couch. "And he knew better than to bug me right after double math class…"

"That's your excuse for everything," Ray murmured, still moving closer to her. She could practically feel his breath on her face and it was triggering some forgotten part of her brain that was screaming 'too close! Too close!'.

"Is n-not," she sqeaked. He was even closer now. "H-hey Ray?"

He looked at her lazily through half-lidded eyes. "Hm?"

"Um…not to be the wet blanket in this little relationship thing…but can we take this slow? Please?" she asked shakily, still pressing herself into the cushion's with an almost painful force. "I've never exactly done this before…you know, dating…I want it to be special…the whole kiss issue…"

"Oh," Ray backed off instantly, holding back his disappointment extremely well. Chaya could still sense it an felt immediately horrible about the entire thing. What had made her completely back out like that? It wasn't that she was chicken, it was just…not time. "Sure. If that's what you want."

"Really?" the brown-eyed girl smiled. "I just have to get used to the whole dating issue and then we can take it form there, okay?"

"If you're happy, I'm happy," Ray said placidly.

"And if you're not you tell me, right?"

"Do I ever not tell you anything?"

"Well you didn't tell me about breaking up with Julia until just now."

"…besides that?"

_Crash! Bang! _

"…wwwaaaaaaAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

The two teens looked at each other and winced at the sudden blare of sound from the youngest person in the house. In unison they sighed and got off of the couch, Chaya running a hand through her hair. She didn't know if she was frazzled or relieved by Ying's sudden decision to destroy the silence.

"She's your sister…"

"Don't remind me."

* * *

>0 

Sorry for the wait, muchachos, schools a bitch, evil parents are, well, evil, and sleep deprivation is the mother of all of it…Read and Review please.

Kuri


	35. Raindrop Wrapper

___**Drowning in the Clouds**_

_Author:_ KuriQuinn

_Title:_ Drowning in the Clouds

_Fandom:_ Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all

_Fanfiction Disclaimer:_ Chaya is my own creation, as is Haley, Jennifer, Claire and anyone else that you don't recognize. Miyami Kinomiya belongs to Mags, my best friend. Aurelia Delk belongs to Band-Freak aka Lobo-Chan. And that is all for now...Flash Jameson belongs to Flash, Iris Messana belongs to Iz

_Rating:_ R for language, mature themes and mature humour

_Pairing:_ Figure it out.

_Takes-Place:_ Alternate Universe

_Summary:_ Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

* * *

>0 

**Chapter Thirty-Four: Raindrop Wrapper **

"Another day…another early morning with lots of yelling and confusion," Chaya moaned as she skated towards school, fiddling with her backpack. She had to swerve a few times to avoid the patches of ice that were still visible along the road, as well as the snow drifts. Her parents had brother had been telling her all morning how it wasn't good enough weather to start roller-blading, but she hadn't listened. And besides, what did they know? None of them rollerbladed anyway…"At least you remembered to wake me up this morning…"

Her brother snorted. He was still choking down a piece of dry toast and trying to fix the placement of his 'Toronto Raptors' basketball jersey beneath his winter coat. The march air was crisp but comfortable all around them. He swallowed audibly. "You didn't have to steal the last pop-tart – I already claimed it!"

"Ya-huh – and I still maintain that your name wasn't on it."

"How could you miss the red permanent marker with the letter's M-A-X on it!" Max howled angrily.

"You can't prove a thing," the blond retorted, rolling her eyes sky-ward. She winced. "Damn it, why is it so bright out here!"

"Look, the world isn't going to tone down just because your in a hissy fit," Max commented through a full mouth. "What's getting you so ticked off anyway?"

"My nose got infected," she complained, crossing her eyes to get a good look at the stud poking through the skin of her nose. It was red and bruised all around and she didn't know why. She had been extremely diligent in her care for it and had even made sure to clean it during school hours just to be sure. "It was fine yesterday, but then Judy dragged us out and it got sunreflecty and dirty and now it's _sore_!"

"Oh quit your bellyaching," Max rolled his eyes. "You brought it upon yourself. You're just lucky that mom didn't find out about the tattoo…"

"First of all, it's an airbrush tattoo, not real at all – it washes off. You know I hate needles," she snapped. "Second of all, you wouldn't have found out about it either, if you respected my privacy and _had knocked first!" _

"It's my room too!"

"I maintain: it's still your fault."

"And I maintain: you're still going to get in shit if Mom finds out about it." Chaya muttered curses under her breath in reply, sending dark looks at Max from under hooded eyelashes. "And don't give me those looks."

"Spoil sport…" She glared at her feet, and then brightened, a wide smile on her face as she regarded her twin. "So, how's the Tyson issue going?"

"Chays…just for now, stay out of it, okay?"

"But Max – "

There was all of a sudden the rumbling of a car motor, followed by a car horn being set off at slight spurts of sound, and the twins turned around to see a black limousine pulling by the curb where they were walking. Casting confused looks in each others directions, they watched as it slowly drifted closer to them and stopped, the window in the back rolling down. The face of one Taryn Hiwatari appeared, her pale face a contrast with the dark color of the limousine.

"_Dobroe utro_," she said, her flat voice actually cheerful for once. "Let 's give you a ride, on this wonderful, amazing day…"

"You're awfully chipper this morning," Chaya said suspiciously as Taryn opened the car door for her and Max to climb in. "What is it today? Heroine? Angle dust? Marijuana?"

"Very funny," Taryn smirked. "For your information, Grandfather's out of town and we managed to convince Olaf to drive us to school."

"Us?" Chaya wanted to ask, but was cut off as the limousine started off. She barely had time to close the door before they were going off down the street. "Yeesh, could you tell the driver to maybe wait until I'm in the c---"

And that was where the words stopped.

Because right at that moment, Chaya realized that it wasn't just her, Taryn and Max sitting in the limo.

Not three feet away from her, leering at her with all of his smug glory, in a Metallica shirt, black leather jacket and baggy jeans, was none other than Kai Hiwitari, an unlit cigarette between his lips. For a moment, words failed her, before she managed to organize her thoughts.

"Let me out of this car," she said, leaning towards the door, Max hauling her back so that he wouldn't sustain injury from jumping out of a moving vehicle in her haste to escape. "Come on, Max, let me go! Owch! My book…my book's due and I have to, ow, rewind it! Let go!

"It's no use, Mizuhara," Kai said coolly, looking out of the window in an almost bored fashion, as though he had given up trying to do what Chaya was doing at the moment. "She put the kiddy-locks on – and I wouldn't try for the window, be – " He stopped talking when he noticed the girl do exactly what he'd told her not to do, half-amused when her face went squish against the glass she had thought wasn't there. " – cause of that."

"Ow…" she moaned, cheek sliding down the glass as Max pulled her backward and into a seat. Still glowering, she waited asTaryn handed her a huge icepack from the mini-fridge and pressed it to her now tender face.

"Are you okay?" Max asked worriedly as he carefully lifted the pack, then poked and prodded at her head. When she let out a sharp curse, he quickly replaced the icepack over her forehead. "You're gonna have a huge bruise there…"

"Taryn…"Chaya moaned. "When I'm no longer flying around the funky colors…I'm going to thrash you within an inch of your life – and then I'm going to take that inch!"

"Oh, you're all so happy this morning," Taryn rolled her eyes. "For your information, it is not every day that we can catch a ride to school in the limousine---I'd rather be taking this thing than having to ride in the back of Kai's motorbike. And here I was, thinking I was being so nice to offer you a ride to school instead of walking…"

"With the scum of the earth," Chaya moaned, sending a vicious look towards Kai.

"I assure you, kid, the feeling's mutual…"

"I wasn't asking you, you fraudulent noodle!" she spat, shouting the first thing that came to her mind. "What are you doing here, anyway? Did you pick the short start or something? I'd figure you'd rather die than be seen taking a limo to school…"

"Stay out of it, Mizuhara."

Chaya's eyes narrowed. "Second time someone's said that to me. I was sick of it the first time."

The girl in black sighed, raising her pierced eyebrow delicately. "You know, you'd think by now the two of you could at least exchange civil conversation between insults."

Chaya mouthed wordlessly, and then slumped backwards on her seat. "You know, I'm suddenly thinking that this is going to be one of those da---ow!"

She jumped away from the back of the seat as though she had been burned and winced.

"Vhat's up?" Taryn asked, looking concerned beneath all of her dark make-up.

Chaya sent a poisonous glance at Kai.

"I'll tell you later," she replied easily. "When we're not in the company of sludge."

Max sighed and then sat back on the smooth leather seat. "I think we were safer just walking…"

(-)

Chaya ducked her head outside of the limo, making sure that no one saw her, and then hopped out of the car completely, walking away as fast and far as possible before –

"Chaya Mizuhara!"

She froze in her spot and slowly turned around to face Miyami, a guilty look on her face as she waited for her best friend to say something.

"I did not just see you walk out of the same car as Kai Hiwitari, did I?" the silver haired girl asked, a smirk on her face, her eyes glittering evilly.

"No," Chaya said in a high, obviously lying voice. "You just saw me walk around dancing like a monkey confessing my love to Clarkson. Yup…"

"Very funny," Miyami rolled her eyes, falling into step. "So, what's going on?"

"What makes you think that something's going on – forget that, why do you automatically assume all the time that something's going on?" Chaya's earnest question turned into a demand midway through.

"Well, you know, considering it took you two weeks to finally tell me that you were going out with Ray – speaking of, it's been a month, have you guys…you know?"

"Miyami!"

Deciding to ignore her inquisitive friend, Chaya cast her eyes around, noticing Taryn as she disembarked from the limousine. She waved at her and then walked off in the other direction, heading towards her metal-head friends whose names Chaya had discovered were Aaron, Andrew and Tyler. The guys were so punked out that sometimes Chaya was amazed that they even deigned themselves to acknowledge her. Come to think of it, sometimes Chaya wondered why she had immediately taken up with Taryn.

Usually she couldn't get along well with anti-social people – especially the type of anti-social that Taryn was. Some people, like Flash (when he wasn't high on vanilla, anyhow) were anti-social because they just found people complicated matters. That didn'ty mean that he didn't like to hang out with them…just in small doses. Taryn was the type of anti-social that couldn't stand people because they were stupid.

Then again, Chaya thought, going back to the thought of Taryn's friendship, she had a nagging suspicion that it was all to annoy Kai. Not that she minded, considering annoying Kai Hiwitari was a past time, and Taryn was a really cool person to hang out with…she just wished that the Russian girl got on better with her friends and didn't disappear so constantly.

"Okay, are you un-nosy again?" Chaya asked, turning back to Miyami, who had calmed down and was now pouting, her arms crossed over her fuzzy blue coat. The girl nodded. "Alright – so what has changed between today and yesterday – considering you have this look on your face that is begging to tell me something."

"Just for that, Miss Sarcasm, I shall say naught," Miyami said theatrically, sticking her nose in the air showily. Chaya watched her friend for a moment, mentally counting down the few seconds until she started speaking again. After eight, Miyami sighed loudly and sent Chaya a pathetic look. "Can I ask you something?"

"Disregarding the fact that you just did, sure," Chaya replied as the two girls inched towards the warmth that was school. It always amused Chaya that in the winter, students couldn't get into the school fast enough. Not that it would be winter for long…spring was ten days away, and the advent of spring always meant one thing to Chaya – she was almost done with the school year.

"How do you ask a guy out?"

Chaya snorted, obviously thinking that her boy-suave-crazy friend was joking. "Simple. You open the door and say 'get out, you're bothering me' and voila, he's out."

"No you moron," Miyami swatted her as they entered the building. "I mean on a date."

Now Chaya was sure that her friend was either toying with her or seriously nervous about asking someone out. It was actually amusing considering Miyami was the biggest flirt that Chaya had ever known and that included her friend Mariam back in New York. It was amusing that Miyami was asking this considering she barely knew how to ask a guy out on a date herself.

"Well, my cousin Michiko used to use the shotgun approach – she just dialed random numbers until she heard the word 'yes'," Chaya recalled thoughtfully, trying to draw some dating knowledge from something her role-models might have done. It was amusing considering that the only role-models she had ever had were her cousin Michiko, who was three years older than she was, and then there was her paternal grandmother. Enough said.

"Ugh, that sounds like a lot of work…"

"Duh," Chaya made a face. "And after all that what have you got? A guy! Or in Michiko's case two male prostitutes and a lesbian bartender…what's the point?"

"Chaya, can you be serious!"

"Look, just ask Johnny out, right off the bat – if you beat around the bush he'll skin you alive and eat your innards for breakfast and all that other stuff."

Miyami looked as though she was torn between being surprised about Chaya knowing who she was talking about and disturbed at what she had just said. She decided on the latter. "Were you watching _Hannibal_?"

"No, but you were about a month ago," the blond said in satisfaction as the two girls approached the locker area and began to put away their winter clothes. "I do believe those were the exact words that Ray used because he was afraid I might do that to him…"

"Dude, that was such a freaky movie…"

"We know. And we don't need you're reenactments of it in our daily life, hon."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"I'm just going to shut up now."

"You do that…"

(-)

"I'm gonna fight 'em off, a seven nation army couldn't hold me back," Chaya sang, dancing on top of the teachers desk to the sound coming from the mini-radio that she and Miyami had been given at the store months before. It had long since become a hit to blare the music as loud as it could go without emitting annoying static bursts that interfered with the tunes, and then dance around the classroom. "They're gonna rip it off, taking their time right behind my back. And I'm talking; to myself at night, because I can't forget – back and forth through my mind, behind a cigarette…'

Even Claire Marchand had had to admit that the idea had credibility, although she obviously didn't approve of the music genre that was being played. She rather vocally declared that the absence of R&B, hip-hop and pop was a scandle, but Chaya had stubbornly given the classroom a quota of how much of the horrible stuff that they were allowed to listen to. Although a few people in the class thought she was being bossy about the radio just because it was hers and Miyami's, she maintained that they listened to enough of the stuff on the radio and in the comfort of their own homes and that they would just have to accept the rules.

After a few arguments and answering pranks, the class had quieted down. And there were no complaints, considering they radio played something for everyone at some point or another, even if the music genre gravitated between eighties rock and alternative.

Chaya twirled around a desk, snapping her fingers and smirking.

"You know, you've got a set of lungs there," Miyami said loudly over the music and Chaya stopped dancing, hopping back onto the desk to sit in her usual lotus position. "You know? You should be in a band or something."

"Nah, I do solo only," Chaya said, a half-smile on her face. "You know me – I'd be too damn worried that I was screwing everybody else up if I sang with a band. I couldn't stand the pressure of having to work with actual people."

"What ever, Narcissus…"

"You know it," the blond winked.

"That doesn't stop you from coming over some day to watch a practice, does it?"

"'Course not! I'm conceited, not stupid!"

"So…in other news…how's the tattoo?" Miyami joined her sitting on the table.

"It's not a tattoo, will you people get that through your hard heads?" Chaya mumbled in irritation as she turned around and pulled up the back of her shirt. She craned her head around, trying to make out the shape that had been air-brushed onto her skin. The image of a phoenix rising from the ashes of a flame exploded off of the pale skin of her back. "Air-brush! Absence of needles! Good thing!"

"Whatever you say," Miyami shrugged. "I can't wait until I can get mine. I have to find a place around here that will do it for minors, though, considering all the legit ones ask for ID, and then they don't even do a good jo – "

"WHAT IS GOING ON IN HERE!"

The frenzied movements of the class stopped and seconds later, the music stopped as well. Chaya noticed that Jennifer had quickly hidden the bulky object under her blazer and sat placidly at her desk, with Haley standing in front of her to keep her from sight. Discreetly, Chaya lowered her shirt so that her back could not be seen. Even though what was on her back wasn't real, she had a feeling she'd get into trouble just because it was there.

Vice Principle Clarkson stood in the doorway, hands on her hips, grotesque expression already in place as she glared around at the students of the ninth grade classroom. No one seemed to be even breathing as she thrust one pudgy foot forward and stalked into the room.

"This is a school!" she shouted, her nostrils flaring. "Not a party! You are disturbing the rest of the school with your infernal racket – now where is the radio or whatever device you have that's making all this noise?" She glared around challengingly, her beetle black eyes glittering with malicious intent. "I am confiscating it – whoever owns it can reclaim it in June after the last of the exams!"

No one moved, although Jennifer's hands tightened on her jacket.

"Well?"

Still no one moved.

"Fine then, keep your silence, I'll just make sure no one leaves this room until that radio or whatever it is, is in my hand!"

After a moment, Chaya tentatively raised her hand, slowly slipping off of the desk. "Uhm, Ms Clarkson - ?"

All the heads turned to Chaya, who straightened up slowly. Clarkson's eyes swiveled around to light upon her and positively sparked alive when she saw who it was.

"Aha, Chaya-Amelia! I should have know you had something to do with this," Clarkson's eyes widened comically and almost triumphantly as she said this. "Perhaps we should discuss this in my office? Your disrespect for the rules is slowly reaching the end of – "

"Actually, I was just going to say that technically, if you force us to hand over something that belongs to one of us in this room and we don't give you permission to take it that's it's theft…and don't you always maintain in our general assemblies that we should say no to bullies and tell someone when something of ours is in jeopardy?" Clarkson's eyes narrowed. "I mean, if you actually decide to go through with this, would we go to our parents about it, or what?"

"Radios are against school laws," Clarkson snapped. "It says so in the constitution…"

"Well maybe if the constitution was written up somewhere for us, we'd know the rules better," Miyami added, also standing up. "I mean, how do we know that you've told us before if it's not in writing?"

"The constitution and rules of this school are written in your agendas," Clarkson said, her voice tight. "And if you two don't stop disrespecting me and giving me attitude like what you're doing now, you will be serving a detention this Thursday. Don't think that you're being smart is an endearment, because it's n – "

"Actually, the constitution isn't in our agenda," Tyson called up, holding the blue-cover spiral book up in his hands and pointing at the minute, blue tinted pages. "It gives us a lot of rules and stuff and says that walkmans, Discmans, cell phones and pagers aren't allowed in school but it doesn't say anything about radios!"

There was a murmur throughout the classroom and a few students actually picked up their agendas and flipped through them to find out if what Tyson said was true. Chaya didn't miss the grinning look her brother sent his best friend.

"Yeah!"

"Hey, they're right!"

"Right!"

Clarkson snarled. "If you don't hand that radio over right now, I'll---"

"You'll vhat?" a low voice asked and Chaya grinned even wider. Taryn had decided to enter the conversation. She was standing at the back of the classroom, her arms crossed. The other students in the class immediately silenced themselves when she opened her mouth to speak, mostly out of awe and slight discomfort towards her. When she wanted to be, Hiwatari's sister could be very imposing…

Clarkson sputtered, turning an ugly purple color. After a moment of choking down what Chaya was sure were some very colorful curses, she spat, flecks of saliva hitting the floor in her rage, "Due to all of your inability to cooperate, I'm giving you all detention!"

And with that, she twirled on her heal and stormed off, the click-clack of her heals disappearing into the background and soon drowned out by the cheers from the class at having actually won a battle with the old wench of Bethany High School.

Chaya and Miyami sent each other delighted smiles and slapped each other high fives.

* * *

(1) Russian for 'good morning'

* * *

---)yo peops, here's the next chapter. I nearly couldn't post it because of the evil computer, but hey, I got it. Enjoy, 

Kuri(-----


	36. British Bulldog

**_Drowning in the Clouds_**

Author: KuriQuinn

Title: Drowning in the Clouds

Fandom: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all

Fanfiction Disclaimer: Chaya is my own creation, as is Haley, Jennifer, Claire and anyone else that you don't recognize. Miyami Kinomiya belongs to Mags, my best friend. Aurelia Delk belongs to Band-Freak aka Lobo-Chan. And that is all for now...Flash Jameson belongs to Flash, Iris Messana belongs to Iz

Rating: R for language, mature themes and mature humour

Pairing: Figure it out.

Takes-Place: Alternate Universe

Summary: Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

* * *

>0 

**Chapter Thirty-Five: British Bulldog **

Chaya glanced at her watch for the fifth-millionth time that afternoon, wondering if it were at all possible that her mother shut up and came to the conclusion that it was probably an impossible feat. After all, when Judy Mizuhara got started on something, she wouldn't shut up until she was through. And what was worse, the subject happened to be one that was causing Chaya large amounts of humiliation as the lecture droned on.

"…and due to the ever inflating economy and the war in Iraq, unneeded spending should be very much limited – so no, I won't be giving you some money considering I already gave you enough during the wee," her mother said as she sipped her tea. She looked over at Ray after a moment. "What did you say your parents did?"

"Um…I didn't," Ray said uncomfortably. "My dad's in the restaurant business and my mother's a doctor. They also hold shares in some cell phone company, but I don't know which one it is…"

"Really?" her mother looked interested and Chaya sent a vicious look at Ray for allowing her mother yet another opening to start a boring conversation. He shrugged helplessly, his sense of manners obviously overpowering his sense of boredom, and reached under the table to squeeze her hand. She grinned, feeling the rush of blood to her face.

She decided that she'd had enough of her mother's talking.

"Hey Judy," she cleared her throat. "We actually kind of had plans today. Think we could take a rain-check on the rest of the preaching for another time? Like, maybe during math class?"

Her mother's expression darkened at the mention of anything that had links to Mrs. Giles at the same time that Ray's morphed into a smirk of amusement. After having been hanging around the Mizuhara for almost a month now, he had already found out about the many infamous exploits of the various family members – especially the insider's version of when Judy had gotten into a physical fight with Chaya's math teacher. He had laughed himself hoarse over that when Chaya had recounted it to him the first time.

"I'm guessing it's either 'yes' or 'no'," Chaya said, noticing her mothers look and absently wondering if she should duck for cover. "But then again, we both know how well I do on multiple-choice…"

"Just go then," Judy grumbled, and then sighed as though she was being abandoned. "I'm sure I have enough work around here to keep me occupied…where's Max, by the way?"

"Over at Tyson's house," Chaya shrugged.

"He seems to spend more time there then at home," the blond woman sniffed and Chaya and Ray exchanged another humor-filled glance. As her mother went on muttering, Chaya and her boyfriend left for the hall where Chaya started looking for her rollerblades while Ray put on his Converse.

"You realize that after this whole spiel on economics we might have to get married, right?" she teased, and he rolled his eyes.

"You do realize that after this whole spiel on economics that I might have to kill you, right?" he replied as he bent over and tied up the laces. He looked up when he was done. "So, is she supposed to be fulfilling the stereotype for blond or something?"

Chaya rolled her eyes as she finally found the skates. They were about an inch away from becoming scratch pads for the cat of living doom, who swiped spitefully at Chaya's hands for having removed her plaything. Harry had made it a habit of hulking in the closet to tear apart whatever footgear took her fancy. So far her mother's leather boots, Max's three pairs of running shoes and her father's sandals had had to have been given a royal burial thanks to the claws of the hairless cat.

Chaya was always amazed that she had managed to fall for her ugly little kitten, who was now more of a playful cat than anything. Harry was just so ugly she was cute…something that Chaya constantly boasted to her friends. She turned away, intent on answering Ray's words.

"I don't know, I just think she spent so much time over the years becoming an egghead that she never learned common sense," the fifteen-year old replied as she put on her skates.

"I know what that's like," Ray smirked. "My parents spent so much time getting rich that they lost all common sense. I mean, Ying's living proof of that…"

"Don't talk about the baby demon from hell today," Chaya warned. "I have enough trouble with wondering if my stalker is going to be around today…"

It was true. Ever since mistakenly walking into Kai's room that day in February, there was seldom a place that she could be that he wasn't around. It felt as though Kai Hiwatari was everywhere that she looked. Not that he was actually doing anything like watching her, or following her…she would have called the police in a heart-beat had that been the case. It was just that whenever she looked up, he was either across from her talking with his cronies, or driving by on his motorbike, or around the corner with his current girlfriend or in the restaurant next door to the school grabbing something to go. It was unnerving.

"I doubt it. Kai hates skaters, remember?" the Chinese boy in front of her commented, wrenching her from her thoughts. "And preps, and posers, and punks, and jocks and – "

"And I get the picture," she waved her hand in annoyance. "Hiwitari, outcast extraordinaire who may hate all these things but has no qualms about screwing a girl from any of these backgrounds…"

Ray shook his head, a smile on his face. "You have such a way with words…"

"Ain't it the truth?" she granted, standing up on her blades and grabbing her helmet. "Hey, after later, wanna go grab some bubble tea? I'll actually pay this time."

"Sure you will," Ray rolled his eyes. "But yeah, bubble tea sounds good." (1)

"Score!" Chaya cheered, jumping up and down on her skates. Ray smirked at her and bent over to grab his board. "So, shall we?"

"Let's, considering we're already late," Ray nodded opening the door for them both. They reached the end of the driveway and were turning onto the main road when Chaya decided to speak again.

"Hey Ray?"

"Yo?"

"Carry me?"

"Not a chance in hell."

(-)

"You guys are sooooo late!" Miyami called out towards them in a sing-song voice. "Where you too busy making out or something?"

Chaya rolled her eyes as she and Ray approached, and then ordered, "Stop talking. Every time you open your mouth you make me sound smart."

"Bitch."

"Uh, yeah."

"By the way, are you coming to my birthday next Monday?"

"Do you even have to ask?"

The two girls grinned at each other for a moment, before hugging. Behind them, the rest of their group stood silently. Iris, Flash, Johnny and Haley shook their heads at the girls antics before waiting for them to come closer to them. Johnny snorted at them and propped himself up on a railing, holding his skateboard across his lap.

"You know? It never ceases to amaze me how insults are pleasantries with you two," he commented as he rotated one of his wheels, trying to discern the problem.

"McGregor, your own bodily functions will never cease to amaze you," Haley retorted from her place nearby where she was lying on a ramp. Johnny stuck out his tongue at her.

"You're just pissed because Jen chose her homework over hanging out today," the redhead told her spitefully. "By the way, she was right, considering you guys have that huge factoring test this year, right? Monday – no wait, that's a holiday – Tuesday?"

Chaya gasped, suddenly stopping tensely in the way so that Ray bumped into the back of her. A look of mourning replaced her previously cheerful expression. "Oh no, I completely forgot!"

Miyami looked over at her friend with amused resignation. "You know, if stupidity were an Olympic sport, you'd win a Nobel Prize." This earned unimpressed glances from everyone, especially the silent blond boy who looked less than impressed. "Wh-at!"

Flash rolled his eyes, as though he didn't want to waste words on Miyami.

"Can't you just study for it during homeroom? Riley's a cool guy. If he knows we've got factoring, he'll probably let us study in history too," Iris suggested as she adjusted her black toque over her long brown hair.

Chaya moaned in reply, glancing up at the overcast sky as though it might yield some answer to her. "The test is first period – and I haven't even written my memory aid yet!"

"You know, when I was in grade nine we weren't allowed cheat sheets---"

"Shut up Johnny!"

"Shutting up…"

"Why don't you just write it up tonight?" Ray suggested loudly, running up the small ramp and then putting his board down so that he could adjust his shoes again. He beamed at her. "And if you need any help studying, I'm free."

She could feel the teasing and evil grins on her back, but when she turned around all of her friends looked like the picture of innocence. A likely story, she thought peevishly, considering when she turned around again she could still feel the force of their grins.

"Thanks Ray," she said, straightening up so as to give off an uncaring aura. It wasn't exactly working considering how fast the blood was rushing to her face. "That sounds great – now, are we going to obsess over my homework or do something fun? Because you losers all know that I can go on all day –"

"Don't we," was the universal reply, which caused Chaya to toss her knee pads violently in their general direction.

"It was a rhetorical statement!"

The "general order of hanging out" as Chaya liked to call it sprung up within minutes, and she watched in amusement as Miyami and Johnny, who finally tired of teasing Chaya, got into a furious argument over something to do with their band and decided to settle it with their boards. The two of them were instantly up on the rails of the skating area, trying to outdo each other as much as they could while petulantly calling out insults towards each other.

Chaya decided she wasn't yet in the mood to rollerblade, and just sat around on the floor with Haley, Iris and Flash, mostly debating about something or other with Iris as well as watching Ray. He had bravely decided to either attempt to break up Miyami and Johnny's argument or skate along with this – Chaya was quite sure that both ideas were possibly fatal…

"Hey McGregor!" Haley yelled loudly, making Chaya jump at the sudden sound. Beside her, Flash winced and then glared in the blue-haired girl's general direction. "Have you been working on your kickflip at all? Or are you still kissing the floor every other time?"

"Hey, I perfected that in kindergarten," Johnny boasted back at her as he nearly toppled off a nearby rail. "Besides, I don't feel like showing off my grandeur to you chumps. I'm having way too much fun on the rail slides…"

"The rails here suck," Miyami called out as she pulled out of a nosegrind. "And whenever we go anywhere near the school rails we get chased out by those annoying security jerks that Clarkson hires."

"Didn't she know that technically, that driveway's public property?" Ray commented, rolling to a stop and looking amused..

"And didn't you guys know that there's a perfectly good rail in back of the school?" Chaya asked in confusion, deciding to join the conversation. There was a silence and her friends looked at her strangely. She made a face at them. "Wha! It's true! You know how the cafeteria people have an exit to the dumpster and it's down some stairs? That rail's perfect for grinding…I even managed to get a kindgrind or two out of it…"

"Ha, sure," Haley scoffed. "First of all, what were you doing in the 'alley of doom'? You just don't go there normally…and second, I don't believe you did. That thing's so steep even the staff has to hold onto both rails or they'll be replacing their hips on the way up…"

"I went back there because I was fix---fixing my uh, blades. I didn't want anyone to see my blades fucked," Chaya said defensively, almost having let it slip to her friends that she had fixed Tala Ivanov's car earlier that year. "And second of all, I did do it! And I'll prove it to you! I bet I could even do it and jump over that big ass dumpster at the same time!"

Iris raised an eyebrow. "Okay, the rail thing had a slight chance of possibility, but a dumpster? Come on, you're not that good."

"But I did it before," Chaya maintained. "On the first day of school when I was late – the garbage truck wouldn't move so I went over a plank and then – "

"How much you willing to bet?" Haley interrupted, her eyes gleaming behind her shades. "Because I want to pierce my belly button some time this month and the winnings should help cover costs…"

"I don't bet money, because I'm not an idiot."

"No, you're just a chicken."

"Wanna say that again?"

"Wanna bet me money then?"

They glared at each other.

"Fine. Five bucks."

"Twenty."

"Twenty? The hell? Are you trying to bleed me dry?" Chaya demanded.

"No, it's insurance for when you fall," the bright blue haired girl grinned.

"No deal. Eight."

"Eighteen."

"Ten."

"Fifteen.

"Deal."

They shook hands.

"Right. Start handing me those dead presidents," Haley grinned as the group got ready to leave for the school.

The walk itself was relatively short, and Chaya remained a little silent towards her friends – not from nerves, considering she knew what she was doing – but the fact that they didn't believe she'd done it. She knew the reason – when she skated around with her friends, first of all they regarded rollerblade as a sissy attempt at skateboarding. That she didn't really care about considering skateboarding really wasn't her thing – she had always liked skating, both figure and roller. It just stuck. Second of all, she hardly ever attempted any tricks of any kind – and when she did them she nearly always wiped out.

Chaya decided that it was something about people watching her that made her nervous.

They reached the school in minutes, and after glancing around to make sure that the security guards that were constantly on campus were not around, they headed to the back alley where the cafeteria exit was located. The remembrance of the day she had fixed Ivanov's car came back to her, as well as the memory of the fight that had taken place close by.

"Chaya, are you sure you want to do this?" Ray asked skeptically, eying the rail in the corner. It was a rusted black metal, that led steeply down about eight steps. Nearby, the huge dumpster that smelled grossly of glue and compost loomed darkly. "If you fall, you're going to be in a body cast for life."

"Even better that I do it," the girl shrugged. "I'm the oldest."

"Actually, I'm technically the oldest," the Chinese teen corrected her half-heartedly.

"Yeah, but I've lived the longest."

There was a pause as the group digested this.

"…Good point."

"Heh."

Miyami deadpanned. "That's not a good thing, hon."

"Shut up, Conscience…"

"Okay Chays, do your thing," Haley said, looking annoyingly superior. "The guy's already made sure to move the dumpster a little closer – "

"With great difficulty too, you schmuck," Johnny complained. "Damn, I think I put my back out…"

"You think _you_ have back problems?" Flash asked sarcastically.

Miyami rolled her eyes at the two of them. "You're such wimps."

"But that's why you love me," Johnny grinned at Chaya's best friend. He sidled up to her and hung his arm around her shoulder. "Hey, uh, wanna give me a massage?"

"Hey, uh, wanna get a life?"

"Damn…"

Chaya laughed at her friends antics and climbed up the stairs, holding on tightly as she pulled her wheeled feet up with her. There was always a downside to rollerblades – and that was the existence of stairs. As her friends stood around, Ray and Miyami looking the most worried out of the group of them, probably for her safety, she skated back to the door of the kitchen, which was about ten feet away from the actual rail.

"'Kay, I'm ready!"

"Score! So's my money!" Haley called back, punching the air. Chaya stuck out her tongue and faced the rail. She put her right foot back and bent low, ready to gather speed on the push-off, when in the distance she noticed something that made her eyes narrow.

Four boys shuffled in from the street, passing around a cigarette and making a whole lot of noise amongst themselves. They were completely absorbed in themselves and hadn't even noticed that they weren't the only ones in the alleyway until the leader of the group actually looked up. Kai's eyes narrowed as though he was trying to see who it was, and then he smirked. His best friend noticed his sudden silence and looked up as well, nudged the two other beside him and made a face.

Hiwatari, Ivanov and the kid whose name was OZ grinned up at her evilly, while Kuznetsov merely shrugged, smoking furiously.

"Come on Chays – or are you chicken?" Haley egged her on, and Chaya steeled herself, her face forming into an expression of concentration. Just because she suddenly had a bigger audience didn't mean anything. She could do this…

Right?

"HERE I GO!"

With a strong push, she started off, approaching the rail faster than she'd go for a normal rail slide (or what she deemed a normal rail slide...). With a grunt she lifted her legs and landed on the steep rail, leaning into the stairs to keep her balance. She felt the air rushing through her hair and the sound of her wheels grinding against the rusted rail of the alley. Now she just needed to appropriate lift –

At the precise moment where she pushed off from the rail and was in the air looking for her landing, her eyes swiveled around on their own accord and met Kai Hiwatari's for a moment – and the way he was looking at her wasn't the usual seething hatred, but in a way that was watching her movement like one would analyze a rivals worth. Measuring her up.

The one second ended up being one second too long.

Chaya didn't lean forward fast enough to propel herself over the dumpster – instead, she found herself actually flying into the dumpster.

The blond fell back into the stinking trash with a loud crash and found herself looking up at the still gray sky, her hair now full of last Tuesday's macaroni surprise and something that smelled like rotten fish. She heard shouts of laughter from Hiwatari's little group of friends, as well as a mixture of mirth and worry from her own friends. 'Fuck.'

"Nice, Mizuhara! I'd hate to see you on a bad-day!"

"Hey, while you're there can you look for my retainer? I lost it last week…"

Pushing herself up and trying not to look at her surrounding stench-givers, Chaya turned to the jerks and sent them the middle finger, noticing that everyone but Kai was laughing and pointing at her. He was just smirking that smirk of his that made her even more angry and embarrassed than all the jeers from his friends.

"Hey Chays, you okay?" Miyami cried, her face leaning over the dumpster, before pulling back in repulsion. "Holy shit, that's strong! What died in here, an elephant's ass?"

"Try 'eau de squirrel," the brown-eyed girl groaned as she accepted Ray's and Johnny's hands to pull her out of the garbage and back down onto the pavement. Chaya swung her legs over the side of the dumpster and jumped out, nearly tripping backwards had it not been for her friends. She looked up and made a face. "Ever had a wipe-out so bad that you didn't feel it?"

Her knees buckled and she collapsed onto her kneepads.

Miyami snorted. "That wasn't one of them."

Something disgusting dripped off of her back and onto the floor with a sickening drip, making Chaya want to retch.

"Gross," Miyami made a face as she tried to brush herself off.

"No shit," the blond looked up and shuddered, mostly at the smell.

"Hey Chaya?" Ray asked, grinning nervously at her, although he didn't seem as worried as he had a few moments earlier. "How about taking a rain-check on the bubble tea? That way you can get home and de-stinkify."

"Oh, how wonderful of you," she deadpanned. "How about this? One of you goes over there and wipes the smirk off of Hiwitari's face?"

"And you can't do it, why?" Johnny asked. "We all saw the split lip you gave him last month…"

"Because, having no other words to say so, I am currently wearing a years worth of cafeteria lunch and I can already feel it eating through my skin," Chaya said with a shudder as she started skating for home. "And Haley, _not a word!_"

* * *

(1) Hey! Okay, most of you might know what this is, but some of you won't. What it is flavoured tea, mostly cold, with little tapioca pearls at the bottom which are the 'bubble's'. Anyway, it's a very good drink and you can get it almost all over the place, especially at Chinatown or downtown. And I love it sooooo much! The watermelon flavour is especially good…

* * *

>0 

MWahaha! I'm so mean to Chaya, aren't I? Oh well, things will get better…maybe…possibly…okay, I really doubt it, but hey. That means more writing, right?

Anyhow, gotta go, hope you likey,

Kuriness


	37. Hogwash

**_Drowning in the Clouds_**

Author: KuriQuinn

Title: Drowning in the Clouds

Fandom: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all

Fanfiction Disclaimer: Chaya is my own creation, as is Haley, Jennifer, Claire and anyone else that you don't recognize. Miyami Kinomiya belongs to Mags, my best friend. Aurelia Delk belongs to Band-Freak aka Lobo-Chan. And that is all for now...Flash Jameson belongs to Flash, Iris Messana belongs to Iz

Rating: R for language, mature themes and mature humour

Pairing: Figure it out.

Takes-Place: Alternate Universe

Summary: Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

* * *

>0

**Chapter Thirty-Six: Hogwash! **

"DAAA-AAAAD!" Chaya yelled up the basement stairs loudly, pausing in her work of putting some random tomes onto the shelves. "Has anyone called about Harry yet!"

The reply from above was the same as it had been for the past hour. "No, sweetie, I'll tell you the minute someone does – maybe if you weren't tying up the phone-line we'd know sooner…"

Her father's sarcasm didn't amuse her in the slightest. "Smart ass," she mumbled into the cordless phone as she finished stacking the books and picked up a huge box of old toys to lug across the room. "That stupid cat is lost and we had to put up those really annoying posters all over the neighborhood."

"If you hate the beast, why do you even bother to find it?" Miyami's voice questioned from the other end, sounding both amused and exasperated at the same time.

"One word: Ray."

"Ah. Understandable. Boyfriend comes into the picture, one must lose oneself," her friend said in a mock mystical voice. "Speaking of, what's the deal? I heard he made a move on you and you totally chickened out."

Chaya paused, her eyes narrowing even though her friend couldn't see. "When did he tell you this?"

"He didn't, I heard it from Ying when I went by Ray's for band practice last week," Miyami snorted. "Her exact words were 'Chaya scared of Ray.'"

"I'm gonna kill that little brat…" Chaya clenched her fists.

"So why didn't you let him kiss you?" Miyami asked. Chaya held back the sharp comment about Miyami knowing everyone else's business including her own and attempted to answer the question.

"I wasn't ready."

"Then why the hell do you want a boyfriend if you're not ready to make out with him!"

"Contrary to popular high school belief, Yami, guys are on this earth for a whole lot more than making out."

"…really?"

Chaya did a double take, wondering whether or not she should dignify that comment with a response. Deciding against it, she merely continued on with something else.

"Look, I'd rather be comfortable with the guy before I get into something like that," she explained as she picked up another box off of the ground with a grunt. "I've learned enough from my mother that serious relationships too early in lead to having kids to early on and then result in a life of total bitchiness ahead. Besides, imagine something like that ever happened to me and I got stuck with a daughter like Becky---I'd give her up for adoption in a heartbeat."

"Right," she could practically hear Miyami rolling her eyes. "So, other than that, have you even spoken to Ray since then? I've been trying to get a hold of him for ages now and what the hell are you doing?"

"Oof!" the blond grunted as she pushed the box on top of a large shelf. "Spring cleaning. It's the same every year: the minute we get into April, Judy decides its time to clean everything from top to bottom. Yet another reason that Harry's sudden decision to skip out on us is driving me nuts---not to mention I still have that stupid French paper to rewrite since she decided to do her business on it…"

"Oh, sure, blame the cat," Miyami's voice said sarcastically.

"Well, have you even started your French?"

"No…"

"You gonna?"

"Maybe…"

"When?"

"Tomorrow…in homeroom…"

"I think I'll join you---hey, want to go to the movies after school tomorrow?"

"Can't. I'm going to sneak into the Rancid concert downtown with Kai."

There was a pause as Chaya's grip tightened on the phone. After a moment she murmured in a deadly voice, "I know you didn't just say who I think you said…"

"Sorry dude-lady, but Kai likes Rancid – unlike a certain someone we all know – and he's old enough to get me in and rich enough to bribe the bouncers---oh, and did I mention that he's technically my cousin and that I never really had a problem with the guy? It's Tyson that has the issues…"

"You don't have a problem with anything or anyone as long as there's something in it for you," Chaya commented dryly.

"Damn straight…anyway, the guy's nearly late anyway, so he owes me a free T-shirt."

"You're a sad, sad person Yams…"

"Hey! I am not an African vegetable!"

"…" Chaya didn't even bother with the reply, and wouldn't have been able to formulate one anyway as the doorbell rang at that precise moment.

"Chaya!" her mother yelled from upstairs, ironically where she was quite close to the door. "Can you get that? We've got our hands full here!"

Chaya sighed.

"Gotta go," she told Miyami. "Door duty."

"Okay, I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Tschuss."

Chaya clicked the 'off' button and tossed the phone on top of the box she had just been lugging, before starting on her way upstairs. She caught sight of Max and Judy on their hands and knees in the kitchen, sorting out the spoiled foods in the fridge and cupboards. For once she was glad to be stuck with boxing jobs in the basement. Touching rotten food was not one of her favorite things to be doing – especially considering some of the stuff in the house had been there since they'd moved in the previous August.

The doorbell rang again, almost impatiently this time.

"CHAYA, GET THE DOOR!" it was her brother that yelled at her this time.

"I'M COMING ALREADY, YOU'RE ROYAL HIGHNESS!" she screamed back at him as she neared the side door. Her movements languid, she unbolted the door with an uninterested air and yanked it open, ready to tell off the person in the way for making her come all the way up the stairs. When she saw who it was, however, she wordlessly shut the door and returned to the hall, feeling something very close to a tic in her right eye.

"Who was that?" her father asked, coming in from the shop with his accounting book. He was doing the monthly expenses, it seemed and was obviously on his way to the computer.

"Solicitor," Chaya replied easily, although her father barely heard her over the shrill _ding_ of the doorbell as the person outside rang it again in determination. She ignored the look her dad was sending her as she sourly followed him back to the entrance way and watched him open it a second time.

"Can I help you?" he said pleasantly, his eyes roving up and down over Kai Hiwatari's appearance. The smug junior wore his usual smirk as well as a ragged jacket and black jeans.

"Actually, sir, I was looking for Miz – Chaya. I have something that belongs to her."

"Chaya, someone to see you," her dad said pleasantly, obviously not recognizing the look of intense hatred that past between his daughter and the teenager at the door – and if he did, he pretended not to. "What's your name, son?"

"That's irrelevant," Chaya sneered through gritted teeth, her eyes not leaving her rival's face and attempting to push her father out of the way. "He won't be staying long; he has to pick up Miyami anyway, don't you?"

"Mikhail Dimitri Hiwatari," the crimson eyed junior was ignoring her words, instead holding out his hand to Chaya's father. "Please to meet you, Mr. Mizuhara."

"Hiwitari," her dad mused as he accepted Kai's hand. "That name strikes me as familiar – "

"It should!" Chaya exploded, not believing that her father could be so dense. "He's the jerk that gave me a concussion! And the one that got me in trouble with the cops, and who totally and completely embarrassed me last year at Ray's birthday and – "

"Oh, really?" Mr. Mizuhara now looked down at Kai with a look that Chaya couldn't read. All she hoped was that it was one of dislike. "I seem to recall you were also the one that helped Chaya break apart my wife and Ann Giles a while back."

"That's not the point!" Chaya cried through gritted teeth.

"She's right," the crimson-brown eyed teenager said, his face also slightly pinched from the effort of being pleasant. "I just came by because I had to return _this_ to you."

He bent down to a box that Chaya hadn't noticed was lying next to his feet, and opened up the top. A hissing, swiping Harry the hairless cat emerged, fighting her way out of Hiwatari's arms and jumping into Chaya's as though for safety. Chaya noted with a certain satisfaction that she was hissing at Kai extremely hard, and that the annoying junior had angry red welts all up and down his arms from what his jacket didn't hide.

'I knew I liked you,' she thought as she grinned down at the cat who purred loudly in her arms, suddenly a calm beast once again.

"Thank you," Mr. Mizuhara said, his usual pleasant smile on his face. For some reason her father liked to believe the best of people, and it seemed he was doing just that right now with Hiwatari. "Chaya, don't you think you should thank your friend?"

"Friend is a rather strong word," Chaya replied through gritted teeth and a phony smile. "But if you said, 'don't you think you should thank the bane of your existance', you might have been closer…"

"Chaya-Amelia…"

She gritted her finger nails into her palm and sent Kai a look of deep loathing. He knew exactly how much this was taking from her to say something of this magnitude to him. He _knew_ that she would rather stick her head down a toilet and give herself a swirly rather than to acknowledge out loud that he had done something for her and that she might owe him. But her father didn't seem to know this and waited for her expectantly to express the nicety of gratitude.

Her voice little more than a breath, she bit out, "Thank. You."

"My pleasure," the overconfident teenager said, his voice dripping with such sadism that Chaya knew what was in store for her the following Monday. His eyes were telling her just that and the way he was staring her down was making her shiver. She didn't like it, and instead reached out to slam the door in his face – she wanted to at least take some minimal victory in this interchange.

"You can leave now."

"Chaya's right," her father said, sounding cheerful now that the issue seemed to have resolved itself. "We're in the middle of spring cleaning, you see. My bane of existence, I'm afraid."

"He doesn't need to know that, Dad, he's leaving right now, so if we could just – "

"You know…" her father said suddenly, his fingers patting his beard in thought. "If you're not doing anything, maybe you could help out around here – "

Chaya felt panicked. "Dad, are you serious!"

Even Hiwatari seemed repulsed by the idea. "No, really, I have to be somewhere later and I don't want to intrude on – "

"Nonsense," her father said, looking down at him with what Chaya noticed moments later were challenging eyes. "In fact, I heard that you two make a good team. Things should be finished around here in no time if you were to help – you two working together will possibly make you bond."

'I'd rather bond with a komodo dragon!' Chaya wanted to yell, but was cut off by Kai.

"Well, I guess if you put it that way," he told her father with a rueful smirk that made her feel like she was choking to death. What the hell was he playing at to accept her father's offer – they were both out to get her, she knew it. Why would her father even have suggested something like that? And why would the arrogant junior have accepted? He couldn't stand her just as much as she couldn't stand him, what was the point!

"I'll go tell Judy to add one more place for lunch then," Mr. Mizuhara grinned jovially. "You can work with Chaya in the basement. Hon, show him the ropes."

Her father walked off, leaving the two teens alone in the porch.

"What the _hell_ are you on?" she sneered at him. "_Why_ the hell are you here!"

"I'm not on anything, Mizuhara, it's called being polite," the crimson eyed junior shot back just as nastily. "Something you wouldn't know anything about. And as for why, other than the fact that I brought you your stupid mongrel – I couldn't really say no to your dad without him thinking I'm extremely rude and it reflecting on my 'oh so wonderfully rich' grandfather." Chaya didn't miss the sarcasm in his voice, instantly remembering his dislike for the old man. "Besides, he's been harping on me to be courteous to your family so it will reflect well on him if I'm nice to my enemies." He grimaced. "Bastard…" He looked up at her, the unexpected action of telling her anything about his past having confused her so for a moment that she forgot she didn't like him. "Anyway, making your life miserable is one of the things I'm good at, right?"

The moment passed and she growled, "I don't care what you have to uphold or whatever, get the hell out of my home!"

"And make your parents think less of me?" he smirked that aggravating smirk again. Chaya's blood started to boil at this comment.

"Fuck you."

He sniffed loudly. "Do I detect a faint whiff of innuendo?"

"Not in the sense you're thinking," she snapped.

He shrugged at her and pulled a carton of cigarettes out of his pocket. "I'm just going to have a smoke out in your driveway and then we can begin."

"Yeah, I'll just go commit suicide on your lawn and then we'll begin," Chaya hissed snidely, slamming the door behind him. Then, making sure he was moving towards the driveway, she whirled around angrily.

"DADDY!"

(-)

She glared at him from her corner of the room where she was sorting books into alphabetical order to put back into the never-been-used shelf. He seemed oblivious as he moved the furniture around to help dust things and then make neat orderly piles of any cloth or material that came his way. Her parents hadn't stopped complimenting him since he got there, and even offered him hot chocolate for a break. _Her hot chocolate_, which she bought with her own money because it was the special blend that took hours to find!

And the little weasel had drank it, the smug bastard, sending her smug looks all through it!

"Are you going to stop glaring at me anytime soon?" the devil's voice interrupted her furious thoughts. "Because if you're not careful, your face will stick like that and lessen your already diminished looks…"

"Get used to it," Chaya snapped, shoving the books roughly together. "And get over it, because you're outta here soon. And don't ever come back."

Kai rolled his eyes.

"Random question, Mizuhara," he drawled, straightening up and leaning against the bookcase in a bored manner. "Just what is it about me that puts you off? My looks? My ability to do everything better than you? Possibly the fact that I don't put up with your crap?"

"You're ego?" she replied scathingly, wondering for a moment how he put up with her crap considering he was the most self-absorbed, rude pig she had ever met.

"See? Your dad was right," he taunted her. "We're bonding. There's nothing like shared misery to bring people together."

She sent him an unimpressed look at his attempt at a joke. It was so uncharacteristic of him that her indifference was more of confusion than anything else.

"I was kidding," he snorted. "Not that someone like you would have been able to recognize it…"

"Are you done yet?" Chaya interrupted. "Because if you are, you can leave; I'm sure we can finish without you. We were doing pretty well before you got here."

"If you could call rounding up dust-bunnies and shoving them under the carpets 'pretty well," the crimson-eyed teen scoffed. "I saw how you cleaned up earlier."

"Argh! _It's none of your business!" _shefinally managed to scream.

"Chaya! Lower your voice please, I have a headache," her mother called down the stairs. Hiwatari smirked again and Chaya finally lost it, grabbing one of the boxes and chucking it at him with as much strength as she could manage. He ducked and the box smacked against the wall, opening up and scattering pages and pages of paper to the floor.

"Oh, that was rich, Mizuhara," he mocked, rolling his eyes.

"Would you just buzz off!" she hissed, stomping forward to pick up the pages from the broken box, her face red with embarrassment and anger. "My god, you're always in the way!"

"Oh, I'm in the way?" he leered, kneeling down as well to help her pick up the papers. She barely even noticed as he tried to put the box back together and place the papers within it. "You're the one that started this whole mess. If you hadn't went and bumped into me – "

"I was going backwards, I didn't see you! You didn't have the decency to help me up!"

"Oh, just let it go!"

"Oh, when do I ever let things go!" she yelled, sending him an annoyed look. The slate-haired teen seemed to turn this piece of information over in his head and then nodded, indicating that she did have a point. It wasn't a very good thing to be known for, Chaya knew, but she did hold grudges.

He opened his mouth to say something to her and then stopped, looking her up and down for a moment. The gesture seemed to her like one of appraisal, and she opened her mouth to tell him off for it, but for some reason the words didn't come out. His eyes made their way back up to her face, meeting her own in an intense stare. Now she faltered, a frown of confusion etching her features.

Why was he looking at her like that? It was the same way he had looked at her not even a month earlier in the back alley – assessing a rivals worth? Assessing her worth?

Once again she felt the shivering sensation, disliking the gesture even more. She forced herself to break the silence but found that she didn't have to.

Hiwatari looked away, glaring down at the box. "So, what is this crap, anyway?"

"Just what you said – crap," she grumbled, recovering herself and looking down at the loose pages in annoyance. "Just stupid, whiny emo-like scribblings I wrote down when I was young and stupid…"

"Is there really any difference now from then?"

Chaya glared at him and then back at the papers. Various limericks of poetry she had attempted lay before her, as well as what might possibly have been called a journal by someone else but what she decided was trash. She could read her own whining words in messy writing, the complaints of a brat looking for attention and for people to take her seriously. A lot of anger in this pages was directed at her older sister, Chaya mused, surprised to find that the anger was still there. Ramblings about being alone and insecure worries about being not good enough –

"Pathetic," Chaya grumbled, crumpling up that paper and tossing it away. She looked up and noticed the junior watching her with the now familiar curious look on his face. "What!"

He shrugged and stood up.

"I have to get hell out of here, the stench of your basement is making me sick," he sneered, the look on his face gone the moment she had noticed it. "Not that I should be surprised…"

Chaya snarled back.

"Fine, you jerk, no one was asking you to be here in the first place! I'll just go explain to my dad that menial tasks such as volunteering something and then finishing them are beneath you!" she cried. "And the Goddess help you if you're still here when I get back!"

"Oh, what are you going to do…attack me again?"

Chaya's eyes sparked, and without a word she leapt at the older teen, tackling him to the ground. His surprise was what allowed her to maneuver herself into a position where she was straddling his chest, her fist raised to connect with his face, just before –

"_Chaya-Amelia Rembrandt Mizuhara!" _

_WHAP! _

Her fist connected with Hiwatari's face moments after her mother's cry, and she watched triumphantly as the trickle of blood dripped down his split lip with satisfaction. He glared up at her, wiping the blood on the back of his fist even as they both heard her parents and brother hurrying down the stairs towards them.

She raised her hand again to punch him, but this time he caught it, leaning close and leering, "You used to hit a lot harder, kid."

"No, your head's just gotten thicker," she snapped, trying to wrestle her hand free. "I hope you have fun healing up your face, bastard!"

Her father and brother finally arrived, yanking her up and towards the stairs. Her mother was apologizing profusely to Kai, obviously wanting to keep him from telling his grandfather or someone else – Chaya could hear her brother telling her how stupid she was being, and her father telling her they would discuss what just happened in the kitchen. She ignored them, yelling out, "Next time, Hiwatari, don't tempt me!"

The door of the basement was slammed in her face as she was plunked down at the kitchen table and she smirked, even though she knew she was going to be punished heartily.

As her father yelled at her, drawing out a long boring tirade about behavior, Chaya heard her mother ushering Hiwatari out of their house and him saying something to her in his persuasive, suave and smug voice. Her mother laughed at her. Chaya would have blown up at this, had she not thought about the look on Kai's face when she had ducked him. It always amazed her that he could look so surprised that someone would dare hit him…

Even though her parents pinned her with double cleaning duty that day, she grinned all the way through it, relishing in her small victory that had made her feel so much better.

She returned to the basement later that evening to finish cleaning up the mess she had made, whistling cheerfully.

She was in such a good mood that she didn't even notice the missing letters from the broken box…

* * *

>0

Well, now we have some intrigue and a lot of humor going to be coming up. Only a few more chaps to go until the end of this installment. Read and review please,

Kuriness


	38. Mayday

_**Drowning in the Clouds**_

Author: KuriQuinn

Title: Drowning in the Clouds

Fandom: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all

Fanfiction Disclaimer: Chaya is my own creation, as is Haley, Jennifer, Claire and anyone else that you don't recognize. Miyami Kinomiya belongs to Mags, my best friend. Aurelia Delk belongs to Band-Freak aka Lobo-Chan. And that is all for now...Flash Jameson belongs to Flash, Iris Messana belongs to Iz

Rating: R for language, mature themes and mature humour

Pairing: Figure it out.

Takes-Place: Alternate Universe

Summary: Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

* * *

>0

**Chapter Thirty-Seven: Mayday! **

"Hey 'Yami," Chaya greeted as she sat down heavily next to her best friend, a tray of odd-looking lunch food in hand. She had forgotten to make her own lunch that day and hence had to actually eat the genetically modified cafeteria food.

"Chays, do you think I'm talented?" her friend asked, putting down her forkful of wilted lettuce and looking up at her imploringly.

"Oh Goddess, what is it this time?" Chaya groaned, leaning forward to hear her friend's newest problem. There was always something different with Miyami. 'First mutant cacti, now this…'

"Well, at band practice yesterday we had a total melt-down and everyone got pissed off and there was this huge fight and Johnny said that they needed a singer that wasn't a total no-talent," Miyami sighed, poking at her salad with a depressed aura around her.

"And you, Miyami Granger, my best friend that takes no guff from no one, actually took what he said seriously?"

"Well…"

"Let me guess: that off time of the month?"

"Umhm…"

"And you want me to yell at him for you this time?"

"…yes please…"

"You're pathetic, you know."

"I'll remind you…"

Chaya rolled her eyes and looked towards the ceiling as though it could solve any and all of her many problems. Seconds later, she strained around, trying to find a glimpse of the aforementioned redhead that had insulted her best friend. After a few moments of tireless searching over the many heads in the 'dining hall', Chaya found her prey about twenty feet away, chatting up some unknowing freshman.

Scoffing, she cleared her throat and yelled, "Yo, McGregor! Get your ass over here! Now!"

She was always amazed that no one ever looked her way anymore when she yelled. She supposed the rest of the school had gotten used to her outbursts.

Johnny grinned and appeared by her side in a flash.

"You called, 'Chaya-and-you-have-no-chance-with-me?'"

Without answering him, she reached up and slugged him in the shoulder, making him yelp and pull back defensively. She put her hands on her hips. "Why did you say Miyami had no talent?" she scolded. "She's a better singer than most of the people in this town, let alone this school…"

"Doesn't make her good," the sophomore shrugged, but when he saw the two unimpressed looks that he was getting from the girls, he adopted a nervous grin. "Aw, come on, I'm kidding! Yams, you're a great singer. But yesterday was an off day, right? We were all jerks – " he turned to Chaya as though he had something to prove. " – including Miyami who called me a Scottish pig farmer that slept and ate with the herd." Chaya sent Miyami an exasperated look for leaving out the minor detail and her friend shrugged wearily. "I mean, do I really smell that bad?"

Chaya opened her mouth and held up her index finger as though to say something to that and then shook her head.

"I'm not going to answer that," she said resolutely. "But I will say that you're both losers. Now kiss 'n make up, call the group together and get some good music goin'. I'll even come watch – "

"Really?" Miyami's expression cleared up.

"No kidding!" Johnny whooped. "The Absent Wonder herself! Okay, Yams, pucker up---"

"Sit down, fool," Miyami grumbled, pushing Johnny back on his butt, her face tinged with pink that only Chaya seemed to notice. "You're making an ass of yourself."

"Is that really any different from usual?" Chaya retorted.

"Not really," Miyami answered, "considering he's perfected it into an art…"

"Sitting right here guys…"

"We know…"

"Know what?" asked the low, accented timber of Taryn Hiwatari's voice as she chose that moment to enter the conversation. She was flanked by Flash, who seemed to have met her half-way in coming towards the table and just showed up with her. "That McGregor is an idiot? That's common knowledge by now, isn't it?"

"Hey Tar," Miyami and Chaya greeted as she sat down beside them. Chaya noticed her friend's sullen expression.

"What's up?" she asked, slightly concerned that the girl was more dead looking than usual. And it didn't look to be intentional. Another thing that bothered her was that she had immediately come over to Chaya to talk instead of going to bother her metal-head friends. It obviously meant that something was on her mind, considering Chaya was the only girl she actually opened up to in the school.

"Other than the sky?" interrupted another voice and Chaya felt someone's lips press against her temple. She blushed red and grinned up at Ray, put off her thoughts of Taryn for the moment. "Nothing but the daily news from the S.O.A.P.S."

"Soap Operas And Pains of School, huh?" Miyami mused loudly, a half-grin on her face. "Alrighty then, what does 'Teen Beat' say today?"

"Two big whammies," Taryn grumbled darkly, her head falling into her hands for a moment, before she looked up blearily. "Both have to do with the assholish, dysfunctional gene collection known as my brother."

"Oh, then I don't have to listen then," Chaya said, although she leaned in to hear the daily gossip. She was always looking for another reason to dislike the older Hiwatari and could usually trust Taryn to give her that small tidbit.

"First off, he's decided that his latest arm-warmer was too much of a prep-slash-poser-slash-slut for him," the crimson eyed goth said as she leaned on the table. Beside her, Flash had noticed the small packet of vanilla pudding on Miyami's platter and was discreetly inching forward and taking it out from under her very nose. "So he broke up with her this morning – she's been bursting into spontaneous spurts of wailing ever since and comes up to me at random times between classes to demand whether he was serious or not…"

"Poor you," Miyami said sympathetically. Flash had opened the pudding and was eating it hungrily, a sadistic grin taking over his face every once in a while. After a moment, he regarded Johnny calculatingly. The sophomore was not paying attention to the conversation; too busy looking at the freshman from earlier.

Chaya watched, a smile tugging at her lips, as Flash's crazed expression intensified as he looked from the lumpy pudding, to Johnny, back to the pudding. Then, before their eyes, he dipped his fingers into the cup of pudding and leaned over, wiping it onto Johnny's brown leather jacket.

He remained oblivious to it, but Miyami didn't. As she asked, "And what's the other piece of news?" she seemed to decide that it was an amusing past-time painting the oblivious Johnny with pudding and slowly rubbing it all over his back – and joined Flash.

As though in answer to her question, Chaya was surprised that Ray was the one to extract a piece of paper from his pocket and smack it down onto the table. Everyone, even Chaya, leaned in to read it. Johnny realized that there was something going on behind him and turned around, mere moments after Flash and Miyami turned away, Miyami pretending to be innocently reading, while Flash cheerfully licked the rest of the vanilla from his fingers, the sadistic grin magnifying his amber eyes. Johnny remained unaware of the stains of vanilla pudding on his back.

Chaya nearly balked at the message on the paper.

_Ray,_

_House Party at the Manor – Friday night - 8pm to whenever – bring boozehol if you want – spread the word, _

_Kai_

Chaya and Miyami were silent, before looking at each other and then back at Taryn.

"It's got to be a typo," Chaya tried, hoping to cheer her friend up.

"It's hand-ritten, you moron," Hiwitari's younger sister deadpanned.

"Oh…"

"Exactly. My grandfather is going back to Russia on business and will be leaving Kai in charge of the house until he comes back. That means that I have to spend the entire fucking night listening to Kai's annoying friends chuck their chips from all the drugs and booze – and then I have to help him clean the damn thing so Grandfather doesn't know…" Taryn groaned. "And I can't tell Grandfather what's going on because then it would be like I'm siding with him and that's the last thing I want to do…"

Miyami sent Taryn a sympathetic look, while Chaya frowned in thought. 'Wait a second…'

A plot took shape in her mind immediately, as though bidden by a silent whisper.

"Alright," she said seriously, smacking her fist against the lunch table. " – ow – anyway. Intervention of friends. To keep our dear buddy Taryn from having to suffer through Asshole Hiwitari's party, I vote we crash the thing. You know, sneak in and just be there considering it will piss him off."

"That's a great idea!" Johnny yelled in such a tone that everyone looked at him strangely. He cleared his throat, looking at the sky, and then grinning sheepishly. "Um. I mean…what good idea? I don't know anything. I'm just cute and fun to watch…heh heh…?"

The five others went back to the conversation at hand.

"You see, that would be a good idea," Ray began with a tone that indicated that there was a 'but' coming. Chaya cut him off right away, not wanting him to ruin her natural high.

"Ray, as my boyfriend you have to support my ideas. It leads to a good relationship."

"Chaya---"

"And good relationships, even if they don't last, develop a person's character, so one day when we're off on our own, we won't be wrinkly, unhappy people---"

"Chaya, uh---"

"---because unhappy people tend to try to dominate the world, and that's supposed to be the job of evil weird little teens like me."

She breathed and looked at Ray winningly and he shook his head.

"You know, I was going to say you don't have to crash anything if I'm inviting you. That's what Kai said to do. Invite people. So here I am. Invite! Invite!" To emphasize his point he made gestures with his hands as though trying to blow something up. (1)

Chaya, Miyami and Johnny stared at the Chinese boy, all three mouthing and squinting at him as though trying to figure him out.

"Uhm…guys?" the junior attempted, waving a hand in front of their faces, confused at their sudden loss of words.

"Don't even bother," Taryn sighed. "Those three idiots still haven't gotten past the important and non-complicated things in life." Ray didn't seem to understand what she was saying, although Flash was smirking in amusement. "Here, I'll show you." She turned to the three staring people. "Hey guys…where does milk come from?"

"A carton!" the three yelled, in almost happy tones that proved they were proud of their knowledge.

"Be more specific," Taryn rolled her eyes.

"A milk carton!"

"What'd I tell you?" she shrugged exasperatedly at Ray, who obviously didn't know whether to laugh or shake his head in disgust.

"Ri-ight," he nodded, standing up. "Well, I have to get going. I have a geography test next that I have yet to study for…see you guys later."

"Bye dude, see you at practice," Miyami shouted, before looking back at the others. "So Tar, why did you all of a sudden ask us the milk carton question? I've noticed that you seem to do that pretty randomly…"

"Never mind it," the Russian girl sighed. "Just a point to prove, that's all…"

Johnny stood, causing the others to look up at him, although it was clear he hadn't been paying attention to anything except the cute freshman from before. Miyami glared in her general direction, which went unnoticed by everyone except for Chaya, as was usual.

"She looks cold," Johnny announced loftily, already starting off. "Being the gentleman that I am, I'm going to go and see if she wants my jacket…see you guys later…"

Flash and Miyami exchanged amused glances, while the other two teenagers attempted with great effort not to laugh at him until he had disappeared from their table, nodding at him in response as he turned away from them. As soon as he was out of ear shot, the four of them burst into laughter that made a few of the other lunch tables look over at them in confusion.

(-)

"…you are all mean and hate me," Johnny complained as they trudged into the garage of Miyami's house. "Why didn't you tell me I had pudding all over my shirt – _why didn't you stop that moron from painting my shirt with pudding!"_

"Take a downer, McGregor," Ray smirked. "It's just a little pudding – and you licked it off right away anyway – that's probably why she said 'no' when you asked for a date…"

"Yeah, you're a pig," Chaya grinned.

"Besides, Flash was on a vanilla-high," Miyami commented. "If you've ever attempted to stop him when he's in one of those you know why we didn't."

"Shut up, you, you helped," Johnny mumbled angrily. Chaya laughed at him, before threading her way through the garage and sitting down on one of the old and dusty work-out benches that were stored in her best friend's garage.

"Okay, people, let's go! Places! Now! If I'm going to be your manager, I want things running in top shape…"

"Manager?" Miyami demanded with a sick look on her face. "Whoever said you could be manager?"

"I did by autocratic and dictatorial vote," the blond said in a convinced tone. "Maybe with me on your side you'll actually get some gigs. You know, the kind where they pay you money…"

"Very funny," Ray rolled his eyes. "You know, you're not conceited, you're convinced."

"Hey, is this practice gonna take long?" Johnny asked from where he was setting up his bass. "Because I have a shitload of homework to do and Riley said that if my grandmother dies one more time, he wants to see the body…"

"I told you that excuse was going to run out sooner or later," Miyami replied as she hefted her bass out of its case.

"What excuse?" two new voices chorused and the group looked up to see the two familiar faces of Tyson and Miyami's older brother Keith.

Chaya still maintained that Keith looked nothing like his sister, therefore it was impossible that they could be related---until you saw how they acted, and then you were convinced right away. Keith had short bluish-black hair that always seemed to be tangled and in his eyes and tangerine orange eyes. When she'd first met him, Chaya had asked if he wore contacts, but was surprised to find out that they weren't. Of course, she'd also commented on his height, considering he towered over her---but then again who didn't, other than Miyami?

"Never mind," Chaya ordered. "Less talky, more practice-y!"

"Did anyone ever tell you that you needed a life?" Keith raised an eyebrow at her as he sat down on the floor nearby and she shrugged in response.

"A lot of people, really. The better question would be: do I ever listen to them?"

"Point," the older Granger nodded. "So, does your band do requests?"

"Definitely," Chaya chirped. Miyami and Tyson exchanged glances.

"When did it become her band?" the blue-haired freshman grumbled. "She doesn't even sing or anything!"

"It became my band when you started dating my brother, Ty-kun," Chaya said in a sing-song voice as she used Miyami's aggravating pet name for him. Tyson glared through the blush that was threatening to overtake his face.

It was actually fairly recent that the advent of Tyson and Max's dating had been revealed to the group. The way Max had told Chaya, a week before, Tyson had approached him and asked him to a movie. Max had been confused, thinking it was to hang out and agreed. Tyson had then corrected himself and made clear that he meant as in 'going out', not just 'hanging out' – which prompted Max to stare at him in shock for a few moments, making Tyson think he was going to say 'no' and walk away. Thankfully, Max had come to his senses quick enough to accept the invitation.

Chaya was immensely glad for her brother, and relieved at the fact that she hadn't had too much to do with their getting together. It seemed after a lot of arguments, Miyami had managed to convince Tyson to go for it – the main spoke in their relationship was that it was only their closest friends that knew that they were dating. No one outside the small circle knew or could know – both Max and Tyson weren't that ready for that kind of attention – especially if it meant it would get back to their parents.

Chaya coughed, and considered Tyson for a moment. "Speaking of, where is the blond fiend?"

"We're only related," was the answer as her brother appeared from behind the basement door and stood in the doorway for a long moment. "And since when is it your business?"

"Since I made it my business," she retorted. "Anyway! Back to requests! What do you want us to play, Keith?"

"There's that 'us' thing again," Miyami shook her head. "You know, I think she's already convinced herself she's part of the band – I knew there was a reason I never pushed the matter to get her to come to practices…"

"Miyami, you do know that I can hear you, right?"

"Not only do I know it, I was counting on it."

"Why?"

"So that I could get into another stupid argument with you."

"Right…it seems to be working…"

"Yup…"

"…we need lives, don't we?"

"Yup…"

"Guys!" Johnny shouted, making all the teens present look at him strangely. "Look, can we just practice because I have loads of homework and I really want to be able to finish it tonight and not in class tomorrow, I'm failing as it is – and I really don't like being the voice of reason, so could someone take over this whole inspiring speech thing?"

The garage was a place of total silence as everyone stared at Johnny in awe. Not surprisingly, Chaya was the one to break the silence.

"Johnny…was serious…" she blinked. Then she turned to Ray. "Heard about any seven-headed dragons rising in the east or other signs of the Apocalypse?" (2)

"Nah, but then again, I only read tea leaves…"

"…you weren't supposed to tell me that kinda thing, Ray…"

* * *

(1) If you watch Charmed, you know what I mean…if you don't, well, you don't…

(2) Anyone read Machall? Insert evil laugh here…

* * *

Okay, there's the next chapter…and we just know that in the future Chaya will do something stupid…and if you didn't know, you just got a hint…

I'll try to get the next chapter up by Friday, and you guys know when I'm going to have this fic done. Some people are getting the idea that I'm going to rashly put together the characters that should be put together by then…well I'm not.

That's why God created sequels.

Anyhoo

Read and review,

Kuriness


	39. Kumquats

**_Drowning in the Clouds_**

Author: KuriQuinn

Title: Drowning in the Clouds

Fandom: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all

Fanfiction Disclaimer: Chaya is my own creation, as is Haley, Jennifer, Claire and anyone else that you don't recognize. Miyami Kinomiya belongs to Mags, my best friend. Aurelia Delk belongs to Band-Freak aka Lobo-Chan. And that is all for now...Flash Jameson belongs to Flash, Iris Messana belongs to Iz

Rating: R for language, mature themes and mature humour

Pairing: Figure it out.

Takes-Place: Alternate Universe

Summary: Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

* * *

>0

**Chapter Thirty-Eight: Kumquats**

"So what did you tell your overbearing other-half about tonight?" Miyami asked as she, Chaya, Johnny and Ray climbed up the hill towards the Hiwatari manor. Chaya could already hear the loud music that was blaring down the hill, and see the outlines of many cars and human figures.

The may air was warm for the first time in month and smelled sourly of a mixture of spring and summer. Although it was almost nine o'clock it wasn't pitch black as was usual.

"I said I was going to your house," the blond answered her friend, dragging her feet as she walked up the concrete path, her boots getting more scuffed than they already were with ever step. She wore jeans and a black tank-top, a mesh overshirt hanging almost to her knees. Her hair was pulled up into two messy pigtails and she was actually wearing make-up that night.

"Oh…because I said that I was going to your house," her silver haired best-friend said doubtfully. She was dressed in cargo pants and a bright yellow tube-top, surrounded by various costume jewelry trinkets.

"Don't worry," Johnny laughed loudly, coming up behind the two girls and draping his arms around their shoulders. "The way you two are dressed, not even I would dream of coming near you – well, possibly Miyami, but that's besides the point…"

"You're near now – and damn it, Johnny, did you even brush your teeth before you left the house?" Chaya groaned, turning her face away from her friend and miming someone choking to death.

The redhead seemed to consider the question in an almost philosophical manner. "I dunno, what day is it?"

"And is it really such a mystery why you don't have a girlfriend," Ray shook his head. "Although I wouldn't put it past you…"

The music was blaring now as the four friends approached the entrance. A group of people were sitting outside, probably on lookout considering no one would be able to hear the doorbell ring. Chaya immediately recognized the black and red streaked head of Ozuma Sato as he made out with his newest girlfriend. She was surprised to find herself wondering where Kin was…but her thoughts were interrupted when a large shadow loomed over her and she found herself staring up at the cold blue eyes of Tala Ivanov.

"What do you want?" he asked loudly, drawing attention to the group. Chaya could already smell the alcohol on his breath. "This is a private party. Featured word 'private'."

"You don't let us in I'll kick your ass. Featured word 'ass'," Chaya replied without missing a beat. "Savy?"

Tala regarded her with raised eyebrows, before shrugging. "Alright then. Suit yourself."

And he shuffled off to grab a joint from one of the guys Chaya recognized as the captain of the football team.

"You know---" she began, but was dragged inside by Ray who had narrowly averted disaster.

"Your mouth is going to get us all killed one day," he shouted to her over the loud musical stylings of Linkin Park. Chaya looked around, relieved to see that all of the priceless antiques and trinkets had been moved away from the partying juniors and few sophomores. Chaya recognized only two freshmen that happened to be friends of Ray's.

Speaking of Ray, where was he? Chaya looked around in confusion to find herself alone, surrounded by the feverishly partying upperclassmen. Her boyfriend had been their moments before, how had he suddenly just disappeared?

She spotted a large group of teens surrounding something, all screaming out loud at random intervals and found herself approaching it with curiosity.

As she got closer, a passing junior reached over and slapped her backside. She whirled around immediately to punch him, but he had already disappeared into the crowd before she could catch him

'…Someone is definitely going to die…' she thought peevishly as she pushed through the crowd and bodies, wincing at the fumes and the loud music.

When she finally made it to the group and looked at what was so interesting, she felt her jaw drop.

In the middle of the cheering teens, waving handfuls of money, Taryn and Kai sat facing each other, both looking determinedly at one another, rows of empty shot glasses before them. A scantily clad girl poured what Chaya was sure was vodka into two more shot glasses, laughing loudly and almost drunkenly as she handed them over to the siblings. She was casting eyes at Kai, who after a moment said something, laughed and then pulled her down onto his lap, picking up the shot glass.

The brother and sister sent each other dirty glares before downing the alcohol in one gulp each. Taryn smacked the glass down on the table amid the shouts of appreciation, while Kai looked at his glass for a moment as though he were seeing something in the stormy light. Seconds later he swore, tossed the glass down and was running towards the main-floor bathroom.

The crowd grew louder as bets were collected and Chaya heard Taryn shout in drunken pride,

"And so de student surpasses de teacher!"

She stood and pushed through the crowd, receiving pats on her back for having beaten Kai. Her eyes met Chaya's and she made towards her. The blond noticed that her friend's eyeliner was smudged and her black lipstick ran in two drops down the corner of her mouth from where the alcohol had trailed as she drank.

"What the hell was that?" Chaya yelled over the music.

"Me beating Kai's ass," Taryn shouted back, her eyes sparkling from the booze. "Vhere are de odderrs?"

"Lost!" Chaya tried not to show how freaked out she was at the way Taryn was behaving. Her accent was much more pronounced now, especially with the telltale slur from the intoxicating drink.

"Aren't vee all?" Taryn giggled, grabbing two plastic cups of booze off of a passing tray and taking a gulp of one of them. Chaya was a little out of sorts. Taryn giggling was not a good sign...

"Where did you get all that crap?" she asked apprehensively.

"Dis vas given to us vhen ve stole it from Grahndfadder's private stash," the younger Hiwitari laughed. She held out one of the cups. "You vanna?"

"Hold it," Chaya held up her hands and looking suspicious. "Taryn is holding the booze. What's wrong with this picture?"

"I'm not you," sniggered the Russian. "Vell, I am haffing a good time and I van't you to haff a good time too, so drink!"

She pushed the cup into Chaya's hand, spilling the stuff all over both of their wrists.

Chaya glanced down at the cup. "Uh…what is it?"

"Vhisky."

"Oh…I don't, uh – what's it taste like?"

"It's de foulest tasting stuff I've ever had. So drink!"

Chaya made a face, lifting the cup to her face and took a sniff before wincing. "Why would I even want to do this?"

"Because your usually smarter friend Tarryn did it ant you vill not be able to live vid yourself unless you do it too."

"I am not falling for that peer pressure crap!" Chaya snapped, before taking a deep sip of the liquid. Before she even swallowed it, she had spat it back out again, decorating the carpet with the stuff. Even though she hadn't swallowed, the liquid burned her mouth. "Oh, shit! Dude, that's disgusting!"

"It's supposed to be."

Chaya shuddered.

"Gross, I feel like something furry crawled into my mouth and died," she gagged, looking around. "Jesus…I'm going to go rinse out my mouth…"

"A'll be vaiting," Taryn slurred, although when Chaya reached the other side of the room and looked back, Taryn was nowhere to be found.

This was going to be a bad night, she knew it immediately. Even though it had been her idea to crash the party, she was all of a sudden wishing she had just decided to phone in a thirty-anchovy-pizzas call or something else that was much easier.

"Chaya!"

She turned around and was surprised and relieved to see Ray right in front of her. He threaded his way through the gyrating bodies around them so that he was inches away from her, and held onto her hand as though he didn't want to lose her again. Thankfully, when she inhaled, she could tell that he hadn't had anything to drink as of yet. Silently, she hoped he wouldn't, either.

"Dance with me," he grinned, pulling her close and a little way away from the others. He managed to find a place where neither of them would bump into the back of the other teens that were dancing. After a few moments, he leaned down close and asked, "So, having a good time?"

"Sure! It's…uh…" she struggled to find the right word.

"Your idea of hell?"

"Actually, in hell you tend to know people," she replied awkwardly. When she saw his look, she brightened up a little. "No, I'm having a great time."

"Good," her boyfriend grinned at her. "Remember, if you need anything, I'm there – oh, and you brought your inhaler, right?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "If I'm lucky I won't need to use it…"

"Not likely," Ray said apologetically. "I've been to Kai's parties before. After about an hour or so things get pretty rowdy. We'll leave then if it's bothering you."

"I'm fine, promise," Chaya smiled. "But if I do die, find out the answer to the car wash problem from Giles for me and have Taryn channel it to me, okay?"

"Not funny, Chays," Ray said seriously. "The minute you start feeling sick, I want you to find me and I'll bring you home."

"Aren't you sweet," she grinned. A peculiar look appeared on her face. "But right now I have to go hurl because my mouth still tastes like whisky!"

And she promptly disappeared into the crowd leaving a very confused Ray staring after her.

(-)

The room was spinning. Or at least that's what Chaya thought as she stumbled through the many jostling bodies. The entire house was filled with smoke and she wondered vaguely how Taryn and Kai were going to get the smell out before Voltaire returned. She coughed.

She had already had to use her inhaler twice and decided she really needed to get out of here or she'd have an attack.

But first…she needed to sit down and clear her head, because the smoke was making her drowsy.

It wasn't the alcohol from before – in fact, she hadn't had anymore and was thankful of that considering how wasted people were getting right before her eyes. Unfortunately, the smoke and fumes were so acrid that she felt as though she was getting high second-handedly, something she wasn't impressed with.

She spotted the sofas and chairs at the other side of the room where various couples were making out and whatnot. Someone had just gotten up, meaning there would be space for her if she hurried. With a frown of concentration she moved through the bodies again. For the third time that night she felt the annoying slap on her ass and this time wasted no time looking, but whirled around and socked the guy in the jaw. A few peoples 'oh'd and formed a crowd around the fallen teen. When she looked down she was hardly surprised to see Ozuma looked up at her in a dazed way. With a glare she yelled obsecenities at him that neither she, nor she was sure, he understood, and then started back on her path to a seat. If she didn't sit down soon she would fall, and that would not be a good thing.

When she reached the spot, she sat down quickly, closing her eyes for a moment to stop the world from spinning.

But it seemed she had not been quick enough.

"What the hell are you doing here, Mizuhara?" a voice in her ear demanded and she made a face, before turning slightly to face what she had been afraid to be true.

It seemed she had tumbled back over the sofa just at the same time that Kai Hiwatari had reached it and sat down, which left her with the very uncomfortable situation for her of sitting on his lap.

"Damn it," she groaned, letting her hand smack into her head at the stupidity of the situation.

His voice wasn't as angry as she would have thought usual, but it still held a firm, rough not. "I don't want to have to repeat myself."

"Then don't," she replied, although she didn't move from her spot. Her head was spinning too much and she knew if she got up she wouldn't suffer the embarrassing of just having sat on the asshole, she'd have fallen on him. A few more seconds and she'd move, but until then she wouldn't risk it.

"What, no wise crack remarks?" he smirked and she turned her head to the right to glare at him and his stupid, smug face. "Not up to par…"

"If you pity me now, I'll kill you," she hissed. Now that she looked around, she saw that none of his annoying friends were around him and that the entire couch area was suddenly free of the making-out couples. It would take only a little movement for her to fall back to the free part of the couch…

"In your condition, I doubt it," he said with a mocking lilt to his voice. "You know if you can't handle this type of thing you shouldn't have showed up."

He leaned over to the ashtray before her and tapped the ashes off of his cigarette, before putting it back in his mouth.

Chaya's eyes followed the journey of the rolled up death stick, moving her head away from the smoke that he exhaled. The stinging smoke burned her throat and eyes, but she ignored it for the moment, just holding her breath and stopping her breath for a second.

"What?" he asked, raising an eyebrow when he noticed that she had watched him take the thing from his lips and hold it between his middle and index finger. He pretended to study it "You want it?"

Without answering, she leaned in, her eyes drooping. She was a few inches away from his face, her eyes roving over what she could see. She had never noticed how pale Hiwatari was, it was slightly unnerving. He had a strong jaw and high cheekbones, which weren't all-together bad-looking features. In this light, his eyes were more crimson than brown, marred only by the dimming effects of alcohol. For a moment she stared straight into them.

To her muddled surprise she noticed that he was returning the gaze, and it was the same intense one she had noticed over the past few months.

Was it her imagination, or were they closer than they should be?

The coherent part of her screamed something at her in her mind that she couldn't make out, and suddenlty her eyes were moving away from his face towards the cigarette in his hands. In a slow, drawn-out movement she reached over him and tugged the fag out of his hands, pausing to look at it, before she smashed it into the porcelain of the ash tray nearby.

"The fuck?" Kai demanded, the spell broken and his eye blazing crimson fire at her. She opened her mouth to tell him that he was an ass and that his smoking was going to kill others, but the expression on his face was of such blunt confusion that she felt the words changed en route from her brain to her mouth.

"I don't think you should smoke. It's bad for your health."

He stared at her quizzically.

"Yeah, and since when do you give a shit?"

"I – " Chaya trailed off, her eyes drooping and she wobbled, barely feeling his arm shoot and steady her. "I don't," she said weakly, squinting at him through the haze that was forming over her eyes. "I'm just…against the government, and when you smoke…you become another statistic…and it's just more economics for us to learn and it sucks…"

"That's the worst lie I have ever heard in my life," Hiwitari told her plainly.

She would have replied, had she not pitched forward at that moment, darkness surrounding her.

She hadn't fainted, she knew that much. She was semi-conscious as she felt herself being lifted and carried somewhere. The smoke and music were assaulting her senses but she vaguely registered being slung over someone's shoulder, as well as the confused voices all around her…

"Chaya, sometimes you really are an idiot," an unfamiliar soft voice spoke in her ear and she strained to open her eyes, but they wouldn't do as commanded. Drunken shouts and people hitting up against her as she was carried drowned out any further comments.

"...Whoa, is she drunk?"

"I dunno, she's just been wandering around the place…"

"Isn't that the Mizuhara chick?"

"Why's he carrying her? He hates her!"

"Who knows…"

_Whisper, whisper._

"Hey Kon! Does this belong to you?" a loud jeering voice demanded and she was suddenly handed over to someone else, feeling the weight of her body bearing downwards before someone elses arms encircled her protectively.

"Chaya? Chaya! Open your eyes!" Ray's frantic voice called in her ear and she groaned.

"Hey Mizuhara, wake up, I don't want a dead body on my hands," Hiwatari's voice said loudly, and Chaya felt anger envelop her. The asshole! She used all the energy she could muster to open her eyes and glare at the sixteen-year-old before her as he looked down at her with a face of anger, annoyance and something her confused state tried to identify as momentary concern.

"Ray, shut this loser up," she whispered, although she wasn't sure that he'd heard, before she felt the darkness consume her again, although this time for good.

When she awoke the next day she found herself in an unfamiliar bed, a killer migraine as well as a horrible taste in her mouth. The room was richly decorated and for a moment she was worried that she was still in the Hiwatari house. At least until the door opened and Mrs. Kon appeared, holding a tray of food as well as some much needed painkillers.

"Chaya sweetie, you're up," she smiled. "I was wondering when you'd come around. I hope you slept well. Last night you very extremely sick."

Images of the night before flashed through her mind and she groaned. She knew for certain that the person that had carried her to Ray had been Hiwatari.

"It's okay, honey, just get some sleep. We've already called your parents to let them know where you are," Ray's mother assured. "They were extremely worried about you and you father was upset that you hadn't told him about the party last night.

Chaya groaned again and buried her face into the silk pillow.

"Don't worry, I won't scold you. I was young once as well," she chuckled. "Ray was very worried about you too. I sent him along to take Ying out for a walk, but I'm sure he'll be checking in on you when he gets back. For now, just laze about. You can stay here until you get better and then we'll send you home, alright?"

"Uh…"

"Great!"

The Chinese woman leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek before waltzing out of the room and Chaya felt a twinge of regret flit through her.

A complete stranger showed her more affection than her own mother seemed to. It was a little sad. But then again, so was getting rescued by your worst enemy instead of your boyfriend…

* * *

>0

R & R Please!

Kuriness


	40. Firecow Part One

**_Drowning in the Clouds_**

Author: KuriQuinn

Title: Drowning in the Clouds

Fandom: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all

Fanfiction Disclaimer: Chaya is my own creation, as is Haley, Jennifer, Claire and anyone else that you don't recognize. Miyami Kinomiya belongs to Mags, my best friend. Aurelia Delk belongs to Band-Freak aka Lobo-Chan. And that is all for now...Flash Jameson belongs to Flash, Iris Messana belongs to Iz

Rating: R for language, mature themes and mature humour

Pairing: Figure it out.

Takes-Place: Alternate Universe

Summary: Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

* * *

>0 

**Chapter Thirty-Nine: Fire Cow - Part One**

The classroom was unusually quiet as Mr. Riley passed around the box with the yearbooks. Almost immediately upon grasping their respective books, the classmates began passing them around to get them signed.

"Alright, people, settle down," the young teacher said, calling for attention through the pandemonium that was threatening to spread. "Before you leave Bethany High on the last day of school before exams, I would like to bid you goodbye. This is my last year teaching here at Bethany – " a torrent of groans met this statement and he grinned in an almost sad way at the class, " – as I've accepted a teaching job in Hungary. It's been an extremely interesting year teaching you and some of you are definitely going to stand out in my mind for years to come."

Miyami and Chaya returned the wink that he sent them quickly.

"I'd like to end this year on the right note, hopefully by giving you some good advice," he was silent for a moment as he looked at each student in turn. "And that is, always put the seat down."

Everyone laughed and groaned at the joke, just as the bell rang.

"Dismissed," Riley shouted over the scraping of chairs and shouts of 'Freedom!' from all of the teenagers. "Good luck on your exams, and have a good summer!"

Only Chaya and her group of friends seemed to remain behind, approaching their teacher's desk in an almost orderly fashion.

"What do you goons want?" he grinned, pushing back his streaked hair from his eyes and fixing them all with amused glances. "Be careful how you answer, considering I can hit you now that I'm no longer your teacher."

"Actually, dude, we just wanted you to sign out yearbooks," Tyson explained. "You've been one awesome teacher."

"I haven't signed a yearbook in six years," Riley snorted, taking out a pen. "Alright, shove 'em here."

"And we want a good long message, Riley," Chaya said wagging her finger. "No initialing!"

"Yeah, or we might just have to scalp you," Miyami added. "The Amerindians had the right idea…"

The young man raised his eyebrow at Miyami.

"So, Miyami, you do pay attention in class sometimes."

"Well," she shrugged, "sometimes you're talking so much that I can't sleep."

"Uh thanks…I think…"

After getting their (long) messages from the departing teacher, the group split up, most to head homeward, others to run around the school begging the teachers for extra help before the exams.

Miyami and Chaya stalked through the corridors, intent on getting to their lockers where they had all their 'illegal' objects stashed, such as CD players, cell phones and bubble gum.

"So…the year's pretty much over," Miyami said casually as she smacked her locker twice, kicked it and then managed to pull it open. "What are you doing this summer?"

"Supposedly hanging out at the lake with all you freaks," the blond replied, looking into her locker mirror and turning her nose ring a little. Thanklfully the thing hadn't gotten infected lately and she had been able to put different rings into it – today it was a stud, actually, in the shape of a snake. "Why?"

"Because my family's going to Washington for two weeks and I wanted to know if you would come," the silver-haired girl replied as she took out her bag and tossed it over her back.

"Meh, sure, if Judy doesn't make me go lick Becky's boots this summer."

"Score."

"Hey guys," a voice said and Ray appeared behind the two of them, yearbook in hand, "yearbook time. As you look back on your first year at Bethany, what would you consider your greatest accomplishment and why?"

"Let's see…" Miyami began, screwing up her face in concentration as to what to say.

"It's hard to pick just one…" Chaya added.

"There was the time we – "

" – no, no that wasn't us – "

" – well, what about the time we – "

" – also, not us."

"You guys are the two most pathetic students in this school," Ray shook his head.

"Hey, there we go! That's an accomplishment!" Chaya said brightly, her eyes sparkling with her usual glimmering amusement.

"He's right, Chaya," Miyami rolled her eyes. "I mean, the year's over and I haven't made a name for myself. And you know whose fault it is?"

"You're own?"

"No, why should I take the fall? I blame..." the younger girl said, looking around for a guinea pig. Her eye fell on a bunch of senior football players. "The jocks!"

"Why?" Chaya and Ray chorused, exchanging looks of total confusion.

"Because they wear those stupid jackets and they get all the girls," Miyami said in a convincing tone.

"Right," Ray said sarcastically. "Hey, has anyone seen McGregor?"

"Johnny's in the office again," Miyami grumbled. "Clarkson was going on about something to do with his marks this year. As if he's not in enough trouble already, he has to listen to her jawing about school work."

"Ah." Ray nodded, and then turned to Chaya. "Hey Chays," he leaned over her, pinning her between him and the locker casually, "remember how I was going to walk you home today? I still want to, but I have a short meeting with my Physics professor to discuss the exam. If you wait maybe fifteen minutes I can still do it. That okay?"

"Yeah, sure," Chaya grinned.

"Oh, thanks," Miyami deadpanned. "Now I have to walk home alone…"

"Why can't you just go with us?"

"Because mom wants me to watch Kian and Regan this afternoon – the demon cousins from hell," the girl grumbled as she kicked her locker again. "You know, considering Tyson'll be out on another date…"

"Don't bug me about that right now," Chaya rubbed her temples. "My parents are slowly starting to figure it out and won't let Max out of the house unless he gives them a sufficient reason – and then they decide to use me as a their link to him and go all private-eye on me, it's annoying..."

"This coming mostly from your mother, right?"

"Gee, Yams, how'd you guess?"

"Ha ha…?" the silver eyed girl tossed her hair. "Well, I'm off. See you at the French exam, right?"

"Duh," Chaya grinned.

"Bye Ray!"

"Bye Yami."

The two watched her leave and then Ray turned to Chaya.

"Right, I gotta go. See you in fifteen minutes, okay?"

"Fine, I had to clean out my locker anyway," Chaya nodded. "Bye!"

Her boyfriend waved at her, paused, leaned over to press a kiss on her temple before he left, and then she turned to the arduous task of taking the collection of items that had accumulated in her locker over the year and putting them in her already nearly full backpack.

For a long while the halls emptied and were silent. She was left alone with the mess of her locker where she tried to decide what things she needed to shred, and what she needed to keep for her notes. Her silent solitude was to be broken, however, with the appearance of a couple of juniors down the hall.

She didn't pay them too much mind, but when she recognized the voices, she paused in her task of sorting the papers.

"…So what exactly is Kai's deal?" she heard an annoyed voice say, and she recognized it as the voice of Ozuma. A flash of hot annoyance for the buy made her tighten her grip on her belongings, remembering how the drunk had kept trying to feel her up at Hiwatari's party. "He's been such a fucking stiff lately – and why's he so uptight over his stupid locker, anyhow?"

"Iunno," the voice of Tala Ivanov replied, almost indifferently. "Must be something he doesn't want us to see – I got a small glimpse, but he closed the locker before I could see – and it was weird, because you know how anal about how clean his stuff is, right? Well there was this huge mess of papers in there and when I asked him what was up he told me off…"

Chaya bent deeper into her locker to keep them from seeing her as they passed by.

"Maybe it's his girlfriend's," Ozuma suggested as they neared.

"Hah. If Kai had a girlfriend, don't you think we'd have seen them going at it all over the school by now?" Ivanov snorted.

"Good point," Ozuma sniggered and Chaya made a look of disgust into her blank locker. "Oh well, leave him alone with his girlfriend's mysterious box. Let's go grab a pizza."

"Dude…"

Chaya waited for them to turn the corner of the hall before she leaned back out of the locker and glared at her reflection in her locker mirror. "What losers – oh wow, stop the presses, he has papers – oh, government conspiracy." She snorted and bent back into the locker, pulling up the rest of the loose leaf papers and stencils and deciding to go through them.

The look of them in her hands as she sorted them triggered something at the back of her mind, almost like a sense of déjà vu. She paused again, frowning in concentration to figure out what it was. When she couldn't she shook her head and went back to her work – but paused again when the feeling wouldn't leave her.

'What the hell?' she thought angrily, glaring at the papers in her hands as though they had something to do with the feeling that something was going on. Her mind working rapidly to figure out the puzzle, she read one of the scribbled notes on one of her pages. It was just a bunch of pointless lyrics she had written during a particularly boring English class, but it captured the way she felt amazingly at that point.

This made her reflect absently on the way the scribbles before her resembled those of her self-made journal that she had found again months earlier…

Something suddenly clicked, dawning on her. Hadn't she accused Judy not three weeks ago of having thrown out all of her old journals of her thoughts on their lives during the traveling years? The papers had just suddenly gone missing right after she had found them…In fact, she had been looking for it ever since Hiwitari had unceremoniously intruded into her house that day in March.

'Wait. I'm missing my journals…Hiwatari has random papers all over his lockers that he won't show people –' "Damn it!"

She jumped to her feet, kicking her locker closed and marching off in the direction that Hiwatari's friends had sidled from. If she got her hands on him she'd tear him limb from limb!

She had no idea where Kai Hiwatari's locker was, considering she hadn't bothered with him since school began. But at the moment, location didn't matter. What mattered was that she was going to kill the bastard for having stolen her deepest and most personal thoughts that began from when she was a little kid – and probably read them!

'He had no right to do something like that and he'd better have a damn good excuse – screw that, he'd better be ready to die', she thought vindictively as she stalked through the school looking right and left for her victim. The halls were strangely empty in contrast to their usually packed state, something Chaya found unnerving and but a good thing in the long run. There would be no witinesses… 'Because he just signed his own death warrant!'

Since the party at his house she had held back from fighting too openly with the Hiwatari boy, both because she had dreaded him bringing up the fact that she had sat on his lap – something she was still mortified about – and because she still had that annoyed feeling that he had been the strange, kind voice that she had heard in her semi-unconsciousness. And the memory of that small, not even one moment where their eyes had met and that creeping, up the spine feeling of –

'Jerk,' she thought venomously, trying to quench the strange feeling underneath all her anger when she thought of him having helped her. 'This is Kai Fucking Hiwitari. He helps no one, it's programmed into his messed up mind to do whatever he wants when he wants! And he wanted to steal your stuff and probably blackmail you with all kinds of crap that – '

Her thoughts were scattered when all of a sudden she collided at full speed with another body, throwing her backwards.

As she fell, she heard the sweeping flutter of something, or many somethings, and looked down to notice the papers – her papers! – lying scattered near the locker area. She winced, preparing herself to hit the ground as gravity bore down on her but found almost immediately that she wasn't falling anymore. She hadn't hit the floor.

Her senses came rushing back to her at full speed, bringing to her senses the pair of strong arms that had encircled her waist to keep her from falling as well as her own arms, which had grabbed upwards around his neck to steady herself.

Kai looked as surprised as she felt for a moment, and all that occurred was the both of them fighting for their balance, still tangled in each others arms. For a moment their eyes had nowhere to look but into each others. As close as she was now and with the better lighting than the night of the party, Chaya noticed the flecks of brown in his eyes. There was a hidden warmth in them that she had never noticed and was surprised to find that it actually lit his face up alluringly.

Her discovery was cut brutally short, though, because before she even knew what was happening, she felt an intense pressure on her lips as they were captured by another pair and she was staring in shock at her arch rivals' now tightly shut eyes.

The kiss was just that: a kiss; a real and rough one. Not the shy pressing of lips together waiting for shy permission and entrance. That was over and done with; Chaya dizzily decided that at some point she had gasped in surprise at what was going on and that was when Kai had deepened the kiss, his tongue intruding into her mouth. She was too surprised and shocked to respond to his ministrations, only able to numbly contemplate another reason that Kai Hiwatari was sought after by the girls of the school.

At this thought, her drooping eyelids widened and her brain seemed to wake up from the temporary stupor it had been subjected to.

A myriad of thoughts tumbled through her mind, although the most prominent of those were the knowledge that she was in the middle of an open hallway, having her mouth ravaged by her worst enemy – in her first kiss – and she hadn't murdered him yet.

As if to punctuate her thoughts, she heard footsteps in the background that emphasized how easy it would be for someone to suddenly walk in on them. Her shock making her jump, she wrenched herself from the slate-haired junior, her reflexes towards him causing her to lash out and land a well placed hit on his jaw-line.

Kai staggered backwards with a curse, cradling his jaw and glaring at her in disbelief.

"You son of a bitch," she snarled just as Ray appeared behind her, looking between her and Kai. From the look of her red, angry face and Kai's injured one Ray put two-and-two together and thankfully came out with five.

"Whoa there, Chaya, don't kill him," the Chinese boy said, clearly not knowing what had just happened as he hurried forward and surrounded her with his arms. "Remember, murder is still illegal in this state…"

"He deserves it," she sneered, bending over to retrieve the flyaway pages that had scattered moments before the kiss that should not have even happened. "This is mine and you stole it, you jerk! Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you or get you sent to jail or something?"

He raised his eyebrow at her and she found her face heating up. There was no way she'd be telling anyone anything now that he had blackmail on her and he knew it. They both knew it. In answer, he merely shrugged and turned away.

"Control yourself, Mizuhara, it's no wonder your so 'alone' sometimes. You deserve it the way you treat people," he said, making a dismissive gesture at her as he walked away. Chaya felt her blood broil even more than usual, the shameful and embarrassed knowledge of him having read her innermost thoughts taking over her realization

"Ray!" she heard the voice of one of the older teachers calling. "I forgot to give you the break down of your marks like you asked. I also want to discuss this with you –"

Chaya wasn't listening any more and she found herself stalking away from her boyfriend and his teacher and after the asshole that she so very much wanted to kill.

To her surprise he was waiting outside, leaning against the door as though he had been waiting for _her._

"Well" she demanded furiously, the sticky smell of summer all around them and doing nothing to bring down the flush in her cheeks. "Got anything to say for yourself you – you – !"

"No, not really," he shrugged uncaringly, looking her up and down. "But no doubt you do, considering it's impossible for you to not talk for more than a few seconds…"

"Damn straight I have something to say, jackass!" she ranted, marching up to him, although she kept her distance should he decide to try anything else that wasn't kosher with her. "First off, you stole something from me! And not just anything, you stole all my private thoughts from when I was a kid! I knew you were low, Hiwitari, just not that low! I can't believe you're that much of a moron! And furthermore, what the hell were you thinking kissing me like that? I hate you, remember? You hate me! That's how things generally are, why are you going and trying to ruin that now, huh? I _like_ hating you, do you think one crappy kiss is going to change that? You just made me hate you even more! And added to that, I have a boyfriend! I'm not going to cheat on Ray with you of all people---if I was going to cheat on someone I'd choose McGregor over you – so don't treat me like one of your roadies, because the difference between us is that their sluts and I'm not!"

She paused to breathe and looked at Kai. He had raised his eyebrows at her words.

"Well?" she demanded, wanting him to say something along the lines of that she was right.

"Are you done bitching yet?"

"Not by a long shot! But before I continue, I have one little, minor question – why did you steal my journals?" she asked, her voice lowering in volume, but not in anger.

Kai shrugged.

"Maybe I wanted to find out what went on in your head…what makes you tick…how you feel about some things."

"Well, find anything?" she asked, seething so much that her rational had all but disappeared. "And why would you want to know these things? And why did you kiss me! You stole my first kiss, you asshole, that wasn't supposed to be yours!"

Kai snorted.

"Never figured you'd be worried about something stupid like a first kiss…"

"Don't change the subject, answer my question Hiwitari! Why did you do it?"

He looked at her, for the first time all day it was a serious look in his eyes and she waited for him to speak.

"Chaya…" she balked when she heard her first name spoken on his lips and felt her jaw dropping. The look faded again and he smirked at her, turning away. "Because I wanted to."

She heard swift footsteps, recognizing the steady footfalls of Ray hurrying towards them.

"Chaya!" he called, his voice echoing off of the walls within the school. "Hey, where are you?"

Kai leaned in, grinning at her.

"But let me remind you Mizuhara…" his voice became quieter, almost in sadistic pleasure. "You opened your mouth to me. Not the other way around."

She gaped at his disappearing form, feeling the anger ebb away and be replaced with a numb feeling as she realized that he was right. She had let him kiss her without any protest.

'But that was because I didn't know what he was doing,' she told herself stubbornly. 'There was no other reason! And he's not going to get to me, so I'm just going to forget about this entire experience because it was just Hiwatari trying to get one up on me again. I mean, the guy will stop at nothing…'

"Chaya, there you are," Ray appeared behind her. "What happened? You were gone all of a sudden."

"I was just going after Hiwatari to kill him, but he got away," she said with more anger than she had wanted to get into that sentence. Ray looked at her sympathetically.

"Hey, good thing too, because I wouldn't want to have to pay your bail."

"Ha ha, Ray," she grumbled, allowing him to wrap his arm around her waist.

"What do you say I treat you to something to eat, huh? Ice cream sound good?"

"…actually Ray, I kinda lost my appetite. And I still have to study for my math exam Friday…can you just take me home?"

"Sure," the Chinese boy nodded. He noticed her expression. "Hey, are you okay?"

Chaya blinked, and forced a smile onto her face.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she grinned. "Just really happy that school is over and exhausted from the year…"

"Understandable," her boyfriend said as they left the school. "Well, come on. We'll take a rain check then, right?"

"…right."

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>0 

Well, I hope there was enough Kai/Chaya action in there. And I guess you guys have noticed that there will be a cliffhanger ending for this fic, right Well, heh, just think of it like a TV series. They have those annoying cliffhanger endings, right? Well, with mine you don't have to wait nearly three months to figure out what happens.

Anyhoo, R&R please,

Kuriness


	41. Firecow Part Two

**_Drowning in the Clouds_**

Author: KuriQuinn

Title: Drowning in the Clouds

Fandom: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade, never will and have no intention of leading a crusade to try to own them. That's too much money and too much effort. However, I do like to manipulate the characters to do my bidding because it amuses me and countless others. This is the only disclaimer you will see in this fic, so if you decide to review me saying that I didn't give credit to the real person that came up with Beyblade (Aoki Takao) I will calmly tell you to go screw yourself. That is all

Fanfiction Disclaimer: Chaya is my own creation, as is Haley, Jennifer, Claire and anyone else that you don't recognize. Miyami Kinomiya belongs to Mags, my best friend. Aurelia Delk belongs to Band-Freak aka Lobo-Chan. And that is all for now...Flash Jameson belongs to Flash, Iris Messana belongs to Iz

Rating: R for language, mature themes and mature humour

Pairing: Figure it out.

Takes-Place: Alternate Universe

Summary: Life, especially high school life, is full of doing stupid things. But with Chaya Mizuhara, it seems to be an art…

Thanks to: _Thank You To: Laulella, SkyBlueSunShine, evilive, Lobo-Chan, mezurashii, Hiwitari-gurl, Iz, Lucky gurl, Adar, Milkshake-Minx, FearlessDranzer, Trunks' Brat Baby. Ghetto fabulous, nObOdY, justafan, Feirdra, Alexandra Lily Riddle, lilix, Silver-Wood-GG, Kay, xxphatxbaybeexx, Flash, Icy, anime-obsessed:P, Disturb-me-not, lycanthropeluvr, Angelinwaiting1, myrtle-moon, peachgirl1608, Queen Phoenix and Hippie Killer,), CrAzY 101, sigourney, grEMlin, Bubbles, pishcules, KEEPON, lil baby phoenix, Dranzen, Ghetto Gamer, CrimsonShadows(Pyro Inu, Ayuka-chan, ariotlatio, Suheil373, twinsisters of heaven and hell, Angel of the Living Dead, A-Water-Fairy-From-Winx-Club, Rational Lunacy, Midnight Insanity, Drago-Kai, dragon-slayer69, Alexis: Digital Survivor, puppy444219, Apakoha, Carmen, Crystal-lightening41, Spazzy's Girl, Kyo Yumi, Ghetto, Tae Yeon Im, Musei Kai, Levin, EKeBEDemon, PaleBlue, utopiangem, Raizard333and anybody else that I missed or who has read this fic. _

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>0

**Chapter Thirty-Nine: Fire Cow (Part Two) **

Miyami stalked out of the examination room, the last person to finish her history exams on the final day of school. An expression of deep resentment and anger clouded her face. Chaya was already waiting for her outside, Johnny in tow. He had finished his exams earlier that morning and had stuck around to see how they had done.

"Well, there's forty-five minutes of my life that I'll never get back," the silver haired girl ranted as soon as she caught up to them. "Just when I thought Riley's essay questions couldn't get anymore boring – feudalism. I'm beyond bored, I'm angry."

As though to punctuate her point, she grabbed a passing senior and shoved him into the locker on their way, snarling at him.

"Feudalism?" the teen choked as he regained his breath, looking down at her in sympathy.

"Uh-huh."

"It's okay," he said, patting her shoulder. She let him go after a moment and watched him disappear into the rush of students trying to escape school at long last.

"Nice guy," the silver-eyed girl mused. "Cute too – too bad he's graduating…"

"If you think history's bad, you're going to hate science next year," Johnny groaned, deciding to join in the complaining of the day. "There was a question on my exam that actually wanted to know the atomic root of a geranium. I was like, 'dude, that's a plant!'"

"You didn't actually write that down, did you?" Miyami raised her eyebrow.

"Uh…maybe?"

"Johnny!"

"What? I never said I worked well under pressure."

Miyami rolled her eyes, having them fall on Chaya who was following them, merely shaking her head at their antics.

"Are you okay, man?" she asked. "You've been way too quiet for, like, a week now. What's your damage?"

"I'd tell you, but I need to get you alone," the blond said, sending Johnny a meaningful look.

"Oh, I get it," the redhead rolled his eyes. "I know when I'm not wanted…" he made an overdramatic sigh and pretended to be sulking, before peeking back over. "If you need me, I'll be waiting at the Chays Dumpster."

Chaya hissed at her friend, making him take off at a sprint down the hall, Miyami laughing loudly in her ear. Ever since the incident where she had fallen into the dumpster, all her friends had christened it 'Chays'. She didn't know if she'd ever live that one down…

"So sup?" Miyami questioned as the two girls walked towards their lockers to empty them of the last of their things for the year. She had her skateboard out and was rolling it beneath her feet, absently creating black marks on the floor. Chaya took out her rollerblades and began putting them on. "And why didn't you just use the code if you had something to say?"

Chaya paused in her work, peering up at her best friend in bewilderment. "…We have a code?"

"All secret clubs have codes."

"But we don't have a club."

"Well, I'll have to bring that up at our next meeting."

"But we don't have meetings."

"This club blows!" Miyami shouted forcefully, scaring a passing student that was walking about on her own. Chaya shook her head again and sighed.

"Yams, I was trying to be serious!"

"Whoa, really? Sorry…" she made a face.

"You know what? Never mind," Chaya said in an annoyed voice, beginning to skate off on her own.

"No, Chays, come on!" Miyami grabbed her friend by the arm to stop her form disappearing. "I want to know, really. You look like you really need to get this out or you'll implode." The brown-eyed girl made a noise of affirmation and motioned Miyami closer to her.

"Remember how I told you that all my old journal and scribbles had gone missing?"

"Yeah?"

"Well I hadn't realized that they went missing after that rat bastard Hiwatari decided to show up at my house and act the goody-goody."

"You mean that day in April?"

"Yeah…well he took them. And read them."

"Shit! What are you going to do?"

"I wasn't finished," Chaya mumbled. "I went to yell at him about it and…"

"And…?"

"And I'm not sure how it happened…but…well…"

"Chaya!"

"He kissed me!"

In reaction to her admission, she clapped her hands over her mouth, hoping it would be enough to cover the blush of mortification that was creeping up her face and down her neck.

Miyami's face remained blank as she digested this information, before a weird look like a cross between shock and amusement took over.

"Miyami? What…?"

"At this moment of great embarrassment and difficulty in your life, I'm trying hard not to laugh," her friend informed her. She kept a straight face for three seconds before it cracked and she laughed out loud. "Nope, can't do it."

"Miyami, what the hell are you laughing about!" Chaya yelled, angry and embarrassed that her friend saw her life as such an amusing thing.

"Just the fact that you let this eat away at you for a week and it really doesn't matter that much."

Chaya stared.

"What are you smoking?" she demanded. "Hel-lo! Kissing – or being kissed or whatever you want to call it – by your worst enemy does matter!"

"It's high school Chaya, no one cares," Miyami informed her and rolled her eyes as they neared the front entrance of the school. "Kai probably didn't care either and unless you've been crushing on him secretly and I don't know about it, you really don't care either."

The girl with the nose ring opened her mouth to argue and then closed it again.

"You've got a point," she conceded. "But that doesn't change the fact that it was weird and strange and wrong in so many ways."

"No it doesn't," was the agreement. "Oh well, that's another crisis averted." She turned to Chaya and dramatically gestured around. "Well Chays, we're about to walk away from school for another summer. Got all your important stuff done? Said goodbye to everyone important?"

"Yup. Riley, Giles, Jackson…oh wait, I forgot Clarkson," Chaya mused out loud as her trademark grin appeared on her face, the matter of Hiwatari behind her thanks to what her friend had said. "One last thing to do…"

(-)

"You really did that?" Taryn laughed over the phone as Chaya shredded all of her notes from the year before.

"Yup, Clarkson's in for a nice summer surprise," the blond sniggered. "You know, just the whole loving gift from me to her…"

"Congrats, dudette," her friend said. "So what are you doing this summer, apart from being a lazy ass?"

"Spending it at the lake with the essop. In fact, Ray's coming over to pick me up in like half an hour – you up for coming?"

"Can't. Grandfather's dragging Kai and me to Russia. He says we haven't learned enough of our family culture. And I was hoping we could go to Japan this year instead…"

"Don't worry, you're not missing much," Chaya chuckled. "Unless you like sushi, then you're missing a lot of fine cuisine. And – "

"Don't make me hurt you, blondie…"

"You know you love me, Tar…" the blond giggled.

"Hey, I have a quick question. Have you spoken to Kai lately? He's seemed a little weird for a while now."

Chaya felt cold all over. It took her a few moments to be able to regulate her voice into it usual cool tone when it came to talking about Taryn's sibling. "Why would I talk to your asshole brother? And why are you asking me this? It's not as though we hang out…"

"Chill," her Russian friend said, almost in a pacifying manner. "He's just been weird since the party and I think he mentioned your name somewhere along the lines in one of his phone conversations – "

"You eavesdrop on his conversations? You're worse than I am…"

" – and he's given up smoking for same reason. I'm not angry about that, don't get me wrong, but it's a little weird that he does it all of a sudden with no motive."

"It's not my problem to figure out your brother," Chaya said coldly. "Look Tar, I have to go. Ray just pulled up. I'll email you, okay?"

"Sure," Taryn said, confusion in her voice at her friends abrupt tone. "_Do svidaniya_."

"Yeah, do svidaniya," Chaya nodded, hanging up the phone and glaring outside.

Damn it, Kai was going to be an eternal bother, she could see it now!

(-)

"The first beach day of the year! This totally rocks!" Chaya yelled as she, her brother, Ray, Haley, Jennifer, Tyson, Iris and Flash carried their things over to the sunniest spot at the lake. "I bet this summer is going to be great!"

"Definitely," Haley nodded. "My folks decided to leave me with my ex-hippie aunt for the summer because they need to take a marriage retreat sorta thing. Whatev, anyhow, that means I pretty much can run free this year."

"Same here," Jennifer nodded.

"We're cool," Tyson and Max chorused before looking over at each other with large grins on their faces.

"Hey, are you startin' without us!" yelled a voice as Miyami arrived, dragging a panting Johnny behind her.

"Oh look, it's a mermaid and Aquanerd," Ray teased and Johnny glared.

"I am not a nerd!"

"Dude, I think he was calling you the mermaid," Chaya sniggered. Johnny looked furious before shrugging and then pretending to primp in front of them, causing the gang to bust into loud laughter.

"Oh god," Miyami moaned at his antics, hiding her eyes in mortification. "Hey Chays, do you remember when we were all worried about Johnny's F-U-T-U-R-E?"

"Oh Yami, you don't have to worry about my furniture," Johnny said affably. "Come on, let's go swimming!"

"Johnny – McGregor, no! Johnny if you don't – HELP ME SOMEONE!" Miyami yelled as the redheaded teenager carried her towards the lake, followed by the laughing gang.

"Thos two are a pair," Jennifer sighed.

"What kind of pair, we're not sure, but they are one," Haley added.

"If they don't start dating soon, can I hit them?" Iris asked with a smirk playing on her lips.

"Get in line," Flash rolled his eyes.

"Hey Ray, let's get a rowboat!" Chaya squealed as she noticed for the first time the little shack that was specializing in rent-a-boat.

The Chinese teenager looked at her quizzically. "Uh…do you even know how to row?"

"No, but that's beside the point!" Chaya cried, dragging her boyfriend towards the boats, her kerchief nearly flying from her hair as she ran.

The weather was beautifully sunny, with just the right amount of wind rustling the sand of the lake. The person at the Rent-A-Boat shack had winked jovially at Ray and Chaya has Ray had but a deposit down for the boat and been assigned the number.

As soon as they had boarded, Chaya immediately pulled up an ore on the boat and tried to row them out, while Ray laughingly told her how she was holding the ore wrong.

It took almost twenty minutes for them to finally get far enough away from the shore, considering how stubborn Chaya was being, but she didn't think that Ray minded. Besides, she was having too good a time forgetting everything that had happened in the past few months to care.

"Okay, it's safe to say that we've drifted away from civilization," Ray said as he squinted over the water at the little dots on the beach that they both knew were people. "Are you sure you don't want me to take over at the oar?"

"I'm fine," Chaya said shortly, a playful smile on her lips. "We're not going back there until I figure out how to row us back."

"Well then we're going to be here for a long time," the Chinese teen shook his head, "because you're rowing sucks."

"Wanna say that again?"

"Yeah: you're rowing suck – hey, no fair!" he yelped as she splashed him with the paddle. "Oh, you're dead, Mizuhara."

"Wanna bet, Kon?" she grinned, backing up as he advanced on her, trying to wrest the paddle from her hands. "Whoa, hey, Ray – careful, you're rocking the bo – Ray, we're going to tip ove – AHHHH!"

"Aahaaaahahaaaaaah –"

_SPLASH! _

She was enveloped in the cold water, sinking beneath the surface, before coming up with a great burst, air filling her lungs. Beside her Ray broke through the surface as well, laughing out loud as soon as air allowed him to.

"That was rich," he sniggered as he paddled over to the overturned row-boat and steadied it, throwing the paddles in before hoisting himself over the rim. "That was your fault."

"In your dreams," Chaya spluttered as she accepted the hand he offered to her and allowed Ray to pull her into the boat. She landed, wet clothes and all, on top of him, her hair streaming wet rivulets down into his face. "You're the one with the gravity issues, you know that…Ray…?"

For the first time she noticed how close he was to her, face-wise, and the easy smile on his lips. And suddenly he was leaning closer to her.

She didn't move as he kissed her, before smiling and pressing her lips back against his. There was no more to the kiss than that, but it was sweet in its own way. Like Ray was respecting her by not pushing her into something she had no clue was going on, unlike Kai who had immediately pulled her into that –

Hold up, why was she thinking of that asshole Hiwitari? She was here, with her boyfriend – _kissing­ _her boyfriend – and all she could think of was her arch-nemesis.

'I think I need a CAT-scan,' she thought numbly as she pulled away from Ray and they looked each other in the eyes. Ray looked apologetic all of a sudden.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly. "I didn't mean to, but you looked really, really beautiful just then and –"

More to quell her own worried than his, Chaya leaned in again and silenced her boyfriend with her lips, aware that his hand reached up to cup her cheek and pull her down beside him.

Even after the kiss was finished, she remained curled up in his arms as the rowboat floated off on its own. They were silent, not an awkward silent, but a comfortable, content silence. Chaya looked through hooded eyes up at the sunny sky which had those puffy clouds cramming the skyline. They were so numerous she felt as though she was drowning in them.

This was going to be a great summer, Chaya thought drowsily. And maybe living in a small town wasn't as bad as she had thought it would be in the beginning. She had great friends, tones of adventures, a loving boyfriend and a great place to just hang around. She had a feeling that even the years after were going to be great.

And she wasn't going to let any drunk-shark T-shirt wearing idiot mess it up for her.

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>0 

WAAAAAAAAAH! I am so sad to see this fic coming to an end, so soon! Okay, it's not really soon, but hey, it took me a year to write this. I feel sort of proud…anyway, as always, I hope this fic was to your liking and that you'll continue to read about Chaya and co. in future sequels that will be coming out soon. I said three weeks, but if you're nice I'll make it two.

Oh, and you'll find out what Chaya did in Burning in the Sea.

Also, I promised a preview of upcoming chapters, didn't I? Well here you are:

**Things to Come: **In Burning in the Sea we will meet up with a few old friends, a few new friends and a few old friends that Chaya knew before we knew anything. A family controversy, an issue surrounding Johnny, a visit from Chaya's eccentric grandmother and some new implications between the triangle that has formed between her, Kai and Ray are all ahead.

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EXCERPT: _

_…__As in slow motion, the space between door and wall got smaller and Chaya put out as much energy as she could to get to the door on time. She refused to be late – wouldn't allow herself to be! _

_She was almost there! Nearly not late! Five steps…four steps…three steps…two – _

_BAM! _

_THUMP! _

_RING! _

_In less than a minute, the students within had all gathered around the door and its frame to look down on the fallen girl. Chaya looked blearily up at the faces around her and let a hand fall upon her now bruised forehead which felt as though someone had smacked her with a frying pan. _

_"For the record, I wasn't late," she mumbled through the pulsing pain in her head. "You closed the door and caused me to be late…I was almost on time…" _

_"Yes, yes, I know very well that it's not your fault, Chaya," a voice said in a sarcastic manner. "It never is." _

_She blinked. _

_That voice… _

_"Wait a second," the teen said suspiciously, trying to see who the teacher was that was standing over her. "I know that voice…there is no voice more annoying than – IT'S YOU!"

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_OWARI_


End file.
